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O'i^Q^vv' < 


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«i« 


THE 


BLESSED  EUCHARIST 


GREATEST  TREASURE. 


BY    MICHAEL    MULLEE, 

Priest  of  the  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer. 


"  In  the  midst  of  you  standeth  One  Whom  you  know  not— the  Iatchet  of  Whose 
shoe  I  am  not  worthy  to  loose." — John  i.  26,  27. 


ELEVENTH  REVISED  EDITION. 


NEW     YORK     AND    CINCINNATI; 

FR.  PUSTET, 

Pbinteb  to  the  Holy  Apostolic  See  and  the  S.  Cong,  op  Rites. 


1880. 


V 


Copyright, 
ERWIN  STEINBACK, 

1878. 


J  m  prima  turL: 


MAETINUS  JOANMES, 

Arcfdep.  Baltt 


Dib  22  Octobee,  1867. 


PROTEST  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 


TN  obedience  to  the  decrees  of  Urban  VIII.  of  holy 
memory,  I  protest  that  I  do  not  intend  to  attribute 
any  other  than  purely  human  authority  to  all  the  mira- 
cles, revelations,  graces  and  incidents  contained  in  this 
book ;  neither  to  the  titles  holy  or  blessed  applied  to 
the  servants  of  God  not  yet  canonized,  except  in  cases 
where  these  have  been  confirmed  by  the  Holy  Roman 
Catholic  Church  and  by  the  Holy  Apostolic  See,  of 
whom  I  profess  myself  an  obedient  son ;  and,  therefore, 
to  their  judgment  I  submit  myself  and  whatever  I  have 
written  in  this  book. 


PREFACE 


My  Dear  Reader  and  Brother  in  Jesus  Christ  : 

0 1  N"CE  the  spirit  of  devotion  that  has  urged  me  to 
U  write  this  book,  animates  you  to  read  it  and 
makes  us  the  happy  children  of  the  same  loving 
Father,  should  you  ever  hear  any  person  say  I  mio-ht 
have  spared  myself  the  labor,  there  being  already  so 
many  learned  and  celebrated  works  which  treat  of 
this  subject,  I  beg  you  to  answer  that  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  in  the  Adorable  Sacrament,  is  such  an  abun- 
dant fountain  that  the  more  it  flows  the  fuller  it  be- 
comes, and  the  fuller  it  is  the  more  it  flows,  which 
signifies  that  the  most  Holy  Eucharist  is  so  great 
and  so  sublime  a  mystery  that  the  more  we  say  of 
it  the  more  remains  to  be  said.  If  St.  Alphonsus 
could  say  with  all  truth  of  the  Passion  of  our  Lord, 
"  that  eternity  will  not  suflice  to  meditate  adequately 
upon  it,"  we  may  aflirm  the  same  of  Jesus  Christ 
hidden  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and  with  a  thou- 
sand times  more  justice  apply  to  our  subject  what 
St.  Augustine  says  in  praise  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
viz :  that  all  the  tongues  of  men,  even  if   all  their 


PREFACE. 

members  were  changed  into  tongues,  would  not  be 
sufficient  to  praise  her  as  she  deserves. 

"Worldly  lovers  are  accustomed  frequently  to  men- 
tion and  praise  those  whom  they  love,  that  others 
also  may  praise  and  applaud  them ;  how  poor  and 
weak  should  we  then  consider  the  love  of  those  who 
call  themselves  lovers  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and 
yet  who  seldom  speak  of  it  or  think  of  endeavoring 
to  inspire  others  with  a  love  of  it.  The  true  lovers 
of  the  most  Blessed  Sacrament  do  not  act  thus  ;  they 
speak  of  it,  praise  it  everywhere,  in  public  and  in 
private ;  whenever  it  is  in  their  power  they  try  to 
enkindle  in  the  hearts  of  all  those  ardent  flames  of 
love  with  which  they  themselves  burn  for  their  be- 
loved Jesus. 

The  object  of  this  little  book  is,  then,  to  make 
Jesus,  in  the  Blessed  Eucharist,  more  generally 
known  and  better  loved.  Our  Divine  Saviour  is 
ready  to  bestow  innumerable  graces  through  this 
Sacrament,  which  are  lost  in  consequence  of  the  ig- 
norance and  indifference  of  men.  When  the  most 
Holy  Sacrament  of  the  Altar  is  not  revered  and  loved, 
scandals  will  abound,  faith  will  languish,  and  the 
Church  mourn.  On  the  other  hand,  if  this  Sacra- 
ment be  worthily  frequented,  peace  will  reign  in 
Christian  hearts,  the  devil  will  lose  power  and  souls 
will  be  sanctified.  "  As  many  as  received  Him  to 
them  He  gave  power  to  be  made  the  sons  of  God." 
It  has  seemed  to  me  that  a  work  explanatory  of  the 
prominent   points    of  this   mystery,   written    in   a 


PREFACE. 

simple  and  familiar  style,  would  greatly  contribute  to 
remove  the  obstacles  to  a  right  appreciation  of  this 
wonderful  Sacrament  of  Divine  love  ;  and  with  this 
conviction  I  have  ventured  to  lay  the  following  pages 
before  the  public,  trusting,  with  the  blessing  of  God, 
they  may  prove  useful  to  many  souls. 

As  Almighty  God  in  His  goodness  imparts  His 
favors  to  His  faithful  followers  in  divers  ways,  some 
times  by  enlightening  their  minds  in  a  supernatural 
manner,  and  even  conversing  with  them  familiarly 
as  it  were,  and  as  the  nature  of  this  work  is  intended 
to  be  practical,  not  controversial,  I  have  thought  it 
expedient  for  the  edification  of  pious  souls  to  intro- 
duce into  it,  after  the  manner  of  the  Holy  Fathers, 
both  some  revelations  made  to  certain  saints,  and 
several  miraculous  facts  concerning  this  mystery.  I 
know  there  are  some  persons  who,  boasting  of  being 
free  from  prejudices,  take  great  credit  to  themselves 
for  believing  ^o  miracles  but  those  recorded  in  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  esteeming  all  others  as  tales  and 
fables  for  foolish  women.  But  it  will  be  well  to  re. 
member  here  a  remark  of  the  learned  St.  Alphonsus, 
who  says,  "  that  the  bad  are  as  ready  to  deride  mira- 
cles as  the  good  are  to  believe  them  ;  adding,  that,  as 
it  is  a  weakness  to  give  credit  to  all  things,  so,  on 
the  other  hand,  to  reject  miracles  which  come  to  us 
attested  by  grave  and  pious  men,  either  savors  of 
infidelity  which  supposes  them  impossible  to  God,  or 
of  presumption  which  refuses  belief  to  such  a  class 
of  authors.     We  give  credit  to  a  Tacitus,  a  Sueto- 


X  PREFACE. 

nius,  and  can  we  deny  it  without  presumption  to 
Christian  authors  of  learning  and  probity.  There 
is  less  risk  in  believing  and  receiving  what  is  related 
with  some  probability  by  honest  persons  and  not  re- 
jected by  the  learned,  and  which  serves  for  the  edifi- 
cation of  our  neighbor,  than  in  rejecting  it  with  a 
disdainful  and  presumptuous  spirit."  Hence  Pope 
Benedict  XI V.  says  :  "  Though  an  assent  of  Catho- 
lic faith  be  not  due  to  them,  they  deserve  a  human 
assent  according  to  the  rules  of  prudence  by  which 
they  are  probable  and  piously  credible." 

Eow  should  the  Reverend  Clergy  deem  this  pub- 
lication ever  so  little  calculated  to  promote  devotion 
to  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  the  compiler  will  believe 
himself  amply  rewarded  for  his  labor  if  they  en 
courage  its  circulation. 

Michael  Muller,  C.  S.S.  R. 

St.  Alphoxsus',  Baltimore,  Md. 
December  8th,  1867. 


CONTENTS 


7^^; 


CHAPTER   I.  PAe* 

The  Doctrine  of  the  Real  Presence   .         .         .         1 

CHAPTER  II. 
On  the  Reverence  due  to  Jesus  Christ  in  the 

Blessed  Sacrament         ....  29 

CHAPTER   III. 
On  the  Love  op  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed 

Sacrament 44 

CHAPTER   IV. 

On  Yisiting  Jesus  Christ    in  the  Blessed  Sac- 
rament    .         .  61 

CHAPTER   V. 
On  the  Great  Desire  of  Jesus  Christ  to  enter 

into  our  Hearts  in  Holy  Communion   .        .       ¥l 

CHAPTER   VI. 
On  Preparation  for  Communion  .        .        .        .91 

CHAPTER  VII. 
On  Thanksgiving  after  Communion     .        .        .     105 

CHAPTER   VIII. 
On  the  Effects  of  Holy  Communion    .         ,        .124 

xi 


XU  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   IX.  *>A«B 

The  Excuses  of  those  who  do  not  Communicate 

Frequently      ....  .  145 

CHAPTER   X. 
On  Unworthy  Communion 167 

CHAPTER   XL 
On  Spiritual  Communion 185 

CHAPTER   XII. 

Considerations  on  the  Virtues  that  Jesus 
Christ  Teaches  us  in  the  Most  Holy  Sac- 
rament of  the  Altar 189 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

The  Most  Holy  Festival  of  Corpus  Christi  and 

its  Origin 191 

CHAPTER   XIV. 
Additional   Examples   Relating   to   the   Real 

Presence 208 

CHAPTER   XV. 
The  Most  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass         .         .     244 

CHAPTER   XVI. 

On  the  Ceremonies  of  Mass  ....  276 

CHAPTER   XVII. 

An  Exhortation  to  hear  Mass  Devoutly   .         .     287 

CHAPTER   XVIII. 

Examples  Relating  to  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of 

the  Mass 304 

Hymn .     320 

Oblation 322 


THE  BLESSED  EUCHARIST 


OUR 


GREATEST  TREASURE. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE  DOCTRINE  OF  THE  REAL  PRESENCE. 

CERTAIN  man  was  once  thrown  into  prison. 
He  there  suffered  so  much  from  hunger,  thirst, 
and  cold,  that  at  last  he  was  almost  dead.  One 
day  the  king  determined  to  pay  a  visit  to  the 
captive,  in  order  to  find  out  how  he  bore  his  sufferings. 
Having  put  off  his  royal  apparel,  he  went  in  disguise  to 
the  prison,  and  asked  the  poor  man  how  he  fared ;  but 
the  prisoner,  being  very  sad  and  melancholy,  scarcely 
deigned  to  answer  him.  When  the  king  had  gone 
away,  the  jailer  said  to  the  criminal :  "  Do  you  know 
who  was  speaking  to  you  ?  It  was  the  king  himself." 
"  The  king ! "  exclaimed  the  captive.  "  O  wretch  that 
I  Liu !     If  I   had  known  that,  I  would  have  thrown 

l 


2  THE  DOCTRINE  OF 

myself  at  his  feet  and  clasped  his  knees,  and  I  would 
not  have  let  him  go  until  he  had  pardoned  me.  Alas ! 
what  a  favorable  opportunity  I  have  lost  of  freeing 
myself  from  this  dungeon."  It  was  thus  the  poor  cap- 
tive lamented  in  anguish  and  despair;  but  all  was 
unavailing. 

I  think,  dear  reader,  you  understand  the  meaning  of 
this  story.  The  sufferings  of  this  captive  represent  the 
wretchedness  of  man's  condition  on  this  earth. 

Our  true  country  is  heaven,  and  as  long  as  we  are 
living  on  earth,  we  are  captives  and  exiles.  We  are 
far  from  Jesus  Christ,  our  King;  far  from  Mary,  our 
good  Mother;  far  from  the  angels  and  Saints  of  heaven, 
and  far  from  our  dear  departed  friends.  But  very  many 
Christians  are  also,  in  another  respect,  like  the  captive 
of  whom  I  have  spoken.  They  do  not  know  Jesus 
Christ,  their  true  King,  Who  not  only  visits  them,  but 
dwells  very  near  them.  "But,"  you  will  ask,  "how 
can  Jesus  Christ  dwell  near  them  without  their  know- 
ing Him  ?  "  It  is  because  He  has  put  on  a  strange  gar- 
ment, and  appears  in  disguise.  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
abides  in  two  places :  in  heaven,  where  He  shows  Him- 
self undisguised,  as  He  is  in  reality ;  and  on  earth  in  the 
Blessed  Sacrament,  in  which  He  conceals  Himself  under 
the  appearance  of  bread.  One  day  a  certain  nun  said 
to  St.  Teresa :  "  I  wish  that  I  had  lived  at  the  time  of 
Jesus  Christ,  my  dear  Saviour,  for  then  I  could  have 
seen  how  amiable  and  lovely  He  is."  St.  Teresa,  on 
hearing  this,  laughed  outright.  "What!"  said  she, 
"do   you  not  know,  then,  dear   sister,  that  the  same 


THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  3 

iesus  Christ  is  still  with  us  on  earth,  that  He  lives 
quite  near  us,  in  our  churches,  on  our  altars,  in  the 
Blessed  Sacrament?"  Yes  —  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
or  Holy  Eucharist,  is  the  true  body  and  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ,  our  Lord;  Who  is  truly,  really  and  substan* 
tiaUy  present  under  the  outward  appearances  of  bread 
and  wine.  This  is  indeed  a  great  mystery;  and  the 
more  to  confirm  your  faith  in  it,  I  will  give  you  some 
proofs  for  it  from  Scripture  and  tradition.  The  first 
proof  is  taken  from  the  sixth  chapter  of  the  gospel  of 
St.  John.  Our  divine  Saviour  knew  that  if  He  were 
to  teach  the  Jews  and  His  disciples  so  new  and  wonder- 
ful a  doctrine,  without  having  first  prepared  them  for 
it,  there  would  be  scarcely  one  who  would  believe  Him. 
When  God  intends  to  do  something  very  extraordinary, 
He  generally  prepares  men  for  it  by  revealing  to  them 
beforehand  what  He  is  about  to  do.  Thus  we  know 
that  when  He  intended  to  destroy  the  world  by  the 
deluge,  He  made  it  known  through  Noah  a  hundred 
years  before  this  dreadful  event  took  place.  Again, 
when  the  Son  of  God  had  become  man,  and  was  about 
to  make  Himself  known  as  the  Eedeemer  of  the  world, 
He  sent  St.  John  the  Baptist  to  prepare  the  people  for 
His  coming.  Finally,  when  He  intended  to  destroy 
Jerusalem,  He  foretold  it  by  the  prophets ;  and  Jesus 
Christ  has  also  described  the  signs  by  which  men  may 
know  when  the  end  of  the  world  is  at  hand.  God  acts 
thus  with  men  because  He  does  not  wish  to  overwhelm 
them  by  His  strange  and  wonderful  dealings. 

Hence,  when  our  divine  Saviour  was  about  to  tell 


4  THE  DOCTRINE  OF 

the  people  that  He  intended  to  give  them  His  flesh  and 
blood  as  food  for  their  souls,  He  prepared  them  for  this 
mysterious  doctrine  by  working  a  very  astounding  mir- 
acle.    This  great  miracle  was  the  feeding  of  five  thou- 
sand men  with  five  loaves  and  two  fishes.     The  people 
having  witnessed  this  miracle,  were  all  so  full  of  rever- 
ence for  Jesus  Christ  that  they  wished  to  take  Him  by 
force  and  make  Him  king ;  but  Jesus,  perceiving  this, 
fled  from  them.     They  found  him  again,  however,  on 
the  following  day;  and  then  Jesus  took  occasion,  from 
the  impression  the  miracle  had  made  on  them,  to  intro- 
duce the  subject  of  the  heavenly  food  which  He  was 
about  to  give  to  the  world.     "Amen,"  said  Jesus,  "I 
say  to  you;  ye  seek  Me,  not  because  ye  have  seen  signs, 
but  because  ye  have  eaten  of  the  loaves  and  have  been 
filled.     Labor  not  for  the  food  which  perisheth,  but  for 
that  which  endureth  to  life  everlasting  which  the  Son 
of  man  will  give  you." ]    Here  He  declares  that  the  food 
He  was  to  give  them  would  confer  eternal  life.     Their 
curiosity  being  excited  by  these  words,  they  desired  to 
know  more  about  this  heavenly  food,  and  asked  what 
sign  He  would  give  them,  and  whether  the  food  He 
spoke  of  was  better  than  the  manna  from  heaven  which 
God  had  given  their  fathers  in  the  desert.     Then  Jesus 
said  to  them :   "Amen,  amen,  I  say  to  you,  Moses  gave 
you  not  the  bread  from  heaven ;  but  My  Father  giveth 
you  the  true  bread  from  heaven ;  for  the  bread  of  God 
is  that  which  cometh  down  from  heaven  and  giveth  life 
to  the  world."2     In  these  words  He  shows  the  superi 

'  St.  John  vi.  26,  27.  '  9  ^W.  v.  32,  33. 


TEE  REAL  PRESENCE.  6 

ority  of  this  bread  to  the  manna  of  the  Old  Testament, 
calling  it  the  "true  bread  from  heaven/'  and  saying 
that  it  possesses  such  wonderful  efficacy  as  to  give  life 
to  the  world.  The  Jews,  hearing  of  so  wonderful  a 
kind  of  bread,  said  to  Him  :  "  Lord,  give  us  this  bread 
always." x  Whereupon,  He  replied  :  "  I  am  the  bread 
of  life ;  your  fathers  did  eat  manna  in  the  desert,  and 
died.  This  is  the  bread  which  cometh  down  from 
heaven,  that  if  any  man  eat  of  it,  he  may  not  die.  i~ 
am  the  living  bread  which  came  down  from  heaven;  if 
any  man  eat  of  this  bread,  he  shall  live  forever ;  and  the 
bread  that  I  will  give  is  My  flesh  for  the  life  of  the 
world."2  He  that  eateth  My  flesh  and  drinketh  My 
blood,  hath  life  everlasting,  and  I  will  raise  him  up  on 
the  last  day.  For  My  flesh  is  meat  indeed,  and  My 
blood  is  drink  indeed.  He  that  eateth  my  flesh  and 
drinketh  My  blood  abideth  in  Me  and  I  in  him."3  His 
disciples  hearing  this,  said  :  "  This  saying  is  hard,  and 
who  can  hear  it."4  Jesus,  knowing  that' His  disciples 
murmured  at  this,  said  to  them:  "Does  this  scandalize 
you?"5  Observe,  he  does  not  say,  you  are  mistaken, 
you  do  not  understand  me, —  no;  on  the  contrary,  He 
insists  still  more  on  the  necessity  of  eating  His  flesh 
and  drinking  His  blood:  "Amen,  amen,  I  say  unto 
you,  unless  you  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of  man  and 
drink  His  blood,  you  shall  not  have  life  in  you." 
**  Many  of  His  disciples,"  continues  the  Evangelist, 
"  hearing  this,  went  away  and  walked  no  more  with 

1  SI.  John  v.  34,         3  Ibid.  v.  57.         '  Ibid.  v.  62. 
1  ioid.  v.  52.  4  Ibid.  v.  61. 

J* 


B  THE  DOCTRINE  OF 

'Him."  Jesus,  seeing  that  they  would  not  believe  that 
He  was  to  give  them  His  flesh  and  blood  as  food  for 
their  souls,  suffered  them  to  go  away  offended,  and  when 
they  were  gone,  He  said  to  the  twelve :  "  Will  ye  also 
go  away?"  Then  Simon  Peter  answered  in  the  name 
of  all:  "  Lord,  to  whom  shall  we  go?  Thou  hast  the 
words  of  eternal  life.  And  we  believe  and  know  that 
Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God."1  Remark  the 
noble  simplicity  of  the  apostle's  faith.  They  believe 
the  words  of  their  Master  without  the  least  hesitation ; 
they  receive  His  words  in  that  sense  in  which  the  other-' 
had  refused  to  receive  them ;  they  receive  them  in  their 
obvious  meaning,  as  a  promise  that  He  would  give 
them  His  real  flesh  to  eat  and  His  real  blood  to  drink ; 
they  believe  with  a  full  faith,  simply  because  He  is 
"  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,"  too  good  to  deceive,  and 
too  wise  to  be  deceived,  too  faithful  to  make  vain  prom- 
ises, and  too  powerful  to  find  difficulty  in  fulfilling 
them. 

From  this  time  forward  the  disciples  were  constantly 
expecting  that  Jesus  Christ  would  fulfil  His  promise. 
At  length  the  long  looked-for  day  came.  At  the  last 
Supper,  Jesus  took  bread  and  blessed,  and  gave  to  His 
disciples,  and  said  :  "Take  ye  and  eat,  for  this  is  My 
body."  Then  taking  the  chalice,  He  gave  thanks  and 
gave  to  them,  saying:  "  Drink  ye  all  of  this,  for  this  is 
My  Blood  of  the  New  Testament  which  shall  be  shed 
for  many,  for  the  remission  of  sins."2 

Now  in  these  words  we  must  consider  especially  rhe 

'  SI,  John  v.  68-70.  a  St.  Matt.  xxvi.  2ft  M. 


THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  7 

speaker.  It  was  God  Himself.  It  was  the  same  God 
Who  created  heaven  and  earth  out  of  nothing ;  Who, 
in  the  beginning,  said:  aLet  light  be  made/'  and  in  an 
instant  the  sun,  the  moon  and  the  stars  appeared  in  the 
heavens ;  the  same  God  Who  once  destroyed  the  whole 
world,  with  the  exception  of  eight  persons,  by  water ; 
Who  destroyed  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  by  fire  from 
heaven ;  Who,  by  His  servant  Moses,  wrought  so  many 
miracles  in  the  sight  of  Pharaoh,  and  conducted  the 
Israelites  out  of  Egypt,  making  a  dry  path  for  them  in 
the  midst  of  the  Red  Sea;  —  it  was  the  same  God,  Je- 
sus Christ,  Who  once  changed  water  into  wine ;  Who 
gave  sight  to  the  blind,  hearing  to  the  deaf,  speech  to 
the  dumb,  and  life  to  the  dead  ;  Jesus  Christ,  Who  as- 
cended into  heaven,  and  Who,  at  the  end  of  the  world, 
will  come  again  with  great  majesty  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven,  to  judge  the  living  and  the  dead.  He  it  was, 
the  great  Almighty  God,  Who  took  bread  into  His 
most  sacred  hands,  blessed  and  gave  to  His  disciples, 
saying  :  "  Take  ye  and  eat:  for  this  is  My  Body"  And 
no  sooner  had  He  said  :  "  This  is  my  Body"  than  the 
bread  was  really  changed  into  His  Body.  He  it  was 
Who,  in  the  same  manner,  took  the  chalice,  blessed  and 
gave  to  the  disciples,  saying :  "  Drink  ye  all  of  it,  for 
this  is  My  Blood."  And  no  sooner  had  He  said,  "  this 
is  My  Blood,"  than  the  wine  was  really  changed  into 
His  Blood.  When  God  speaks,  what  He  commands  is 
done  in  an  instant.  As  He  made  the  sun,  the  moon 
and  the  stars  merely  by  saying :  "  Let  light  be  made," 
so  also  at  the  Last  Supper,  by  His  word  alone,  He  in- 


8  THE  DOCTRINE  OF 

stantaneously  changed  bread  into  His  Body,  and  wise 
into  His  Blood. 

To  those  who  doubt  this,  we  may  apply  the  reproof 
idnch  St.  Jane  Frances  de  Chantal  once  gave  to  a  Cal- 
/inist  nobleman  who  was  disputing  with  her  father 
about  the  Real  Presence.  She  was  at  that  time  only 
five  years  of  age,  but  hearing  the  dispute,  she  advanced 
to  the  heretic,  and  said :  "  What,  Sir !  you  do  not  be- 
lieve that  Jesus  Christ  is  really  present  in  the  Holy 
Eucharist,  and  yet  He  has  told  us  that  He  is  present 
You  then  make  Him  a  liar.  If  you  dared  attack  the 
honor  of  the  king,  my  father  would  defend  it  at  the  risk 
of  his  life,  and  even  at  the  cost  of  yours,  what  have  you 
then  to  expect  from  God  for  calling  His  Son  a  liar?" 
The  Calvinist  was  greatly  surprised  at  the  child's  zeal, 
and  endeavored  to  appease  his  young  adversary  with 
presents ;  but,  full  of  love  for  her  holy  faith,  she  took 
his  gifts  and  threw  them  into  the  fire,  saying :  "  Thus 
shall  all  those  burn  in  hell  who  do  not  believe  the 
words  of  Jesus  Christ." 

St.  Paul  warmly  exhorts  the  Corinthians  to  flee  all 
communications  with  idolatry,  and  to  abstain  from 
things  offered  to  idols,  and  he  uses  the  following  argu- 
ment to  persuade  them:  "The  chalice  of  blessing  which 
we  bless,  is  it  not  the  communion  of  the  Blood  of 
Christ  f  And  the  bread  which  we  break,  is  it  not  the 
communion  of  the  Body  of  the  Lord?"1  Here  he  ex- 
pressly says  that  in  the  Holy  Eucharist  we  communi- 
cate and  partake  of  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ. 
And  still  further  on  he  says,  in  the  same  epistle  to  the 

1  \  Cor.  x.  16. 


THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  9 

Corinthians:  "  Whosoever  shall  eat  this  bread,  or  drink 
the  chalice  of  the  Lord  unworthily,  shall  be  guilty  of 
the  Body  and  Blood  of  the  Lord."  Nay,  he  goes  far- 
ther and  says :  "  He  that  eateth  and  drinketh  un- 
worthily, eateth  and  drinketh  damnation  to  himself, 
not  discerning  the  Body  of  the  Lord."1  How  could 
the  Apostle  declare  that  any  one  who  received  holy 
communion  unworthily  would  eat  and  drink  eternal 
damnation,  if  such  a  one  did  not  really  receive  our 
Lord?  Would  it  not  be  absurd  to  say  that  a  man 
would  incur  eternal  damnation  by  merely  eating  a  piece 
of  bread,  or  drinking  a  few  drops  of  wine  ?  But  be- 
cause the  Apostle,  taught  by  Jesus  Christ  Himself,  knew 
that  He  who  receives  holy  communion  receives  our 
Lord  Himself,  he  declared  that  to  receive  it  unworthily 
was  to  be  guilty  of  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  consequently  to  deserve  hell-fire. 

Moreover,  all  the  Fathers  of  the  Church  teach  the 
same  doctrine  as  St.  Paul.  St.  Ignatius,  Bishop  of 
Antioch,  who  lived  in  the  first  century,  wrote  as  fol- 
lows to  the  faithful  of  Smyrna :  "  Because  the  heretics 
refuse  to  acknowledge  the  Holy  Eucharist  to  be  the 
same  flesh  which  suffered  for  our  sins  and  was  raised 
again  to  life  by  God  the  Father,  they  die  a  miserable 
death  and  perish  without  hope."  Tertullian  says:  "Our 
flesh  is  nourished  with  the  body  and  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ,  in  order  that  our  souls  may  be  filled  with  God 
Himself."  "  Who,"  asks  St.  John  Chrysostom,2  "will 
give  us  of  his  flesh  that  we  may  be  filled." 3    This,  Christ 

1  1  Cor.  xi.  29.  a  De  Resurrect,  carnis  c.  viii.  3  Job  xxxi.  31. 


10  THE  DOCTRINE  OF 

has  done,  allowing  Himself  not  only  to  be  seen,  but  to 
be  touched  too,  and  to  be  eaten,  to  be  united  to  us,  thus 
gratifying  all  our  wishes.  Parents  often  give  their 
children  to  others  to  nurse  them:  not  so  do  I,  says 
Christ,  —  "I  nourish  you  with  My  flesh  and  plr.^  My- 
self before  you.  I  was  willing  to  become  your  brother , 
for  your  sake  I  took  flesh  and  blood ;  and  again  I  de- 
liver to  you  that  flesh  and  blood  by  which  I  became  sc 
nearly  related  to  you."1  In  like  manner  do  all  thi 
Fathers  of  the  Church  speak  that  have  written  upon 
this  subject. 

But  you  will  ask:  "How  is  our  Lord  present  in  the 
Holy  Eucharist  ?  "  I  answer :  "  Jesus  Christ  is  truly, 
really,  and  substantially  contained  under  the  outward 
appearance  of  bread  and  wine,  i.  e.,  He  is  present  whole 
and  entire,  His  body  and  soul,  His  flesh  and  His  blood, 
His  whole  humanity  and  His  whole  Divinity.  This  is 
clear  from  what  our  Lord  said  at  the  institution  of  this 
holy  mystery :  "  This  is  My  Body,"  that  is  to  say,  this 
which  I  hold  in  My  hand  is  the  same  body  of  flesh 
with  which  you  see  me  clothed,  the  same  body  that  J 
have  borne  for  thirty-three  years,  the  very  body  thai 
shall  be  to-morrow  nailed  to  the  cross. 

Moreover,  as  in  Him  the  human  nature  was  insepa- 
rably united  to  the  divine,  He  Himself — His  whole 
humanity  and  divinity  —  was  contained  under  that  out- 
ward appearance  of  bread.  "How  is  this  possible?7' 
you  ask.  I  answer :  "  By  the  Almighty  power  of  God.* 
Is  it  not  as  easy  for  Him  to  change  bread  into  His 

1  Homil.  in  Joan.  xlvi. 


THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  \  1 

Body,  and  wine  into  His  Blood,  as  it  was  for  Him  to 
create  heaven  and  earth  out  of  nothing  ?  It  happened 
once  in  the  Netherlands,  that  two  ladies,  a  Catholic 
and  a  Protestant,  were  disputing  on  the  subject  of  the 
Heal  Presence.  The  Protestant  asserted  that  the  Real 
Presence  was  impossible.  The  Catholic  asked  her: 
"Have  you  Protestants  any  creed  in  your  religion?" 
"  Oh  to  be  sure,"  said  the  Protestant ;  and  she  began 
to  recite:  "I  believe  in  God  the  Father  Aim ighiy,  Cre- 
ator of  heaven  and  earth."  "Stop,"  said  the  other; 
"that  is  enough.  You  say  that  you  believe  in  &n  all- 
powerful  God,  why  then  do  you  not  believe  that  He 
can  change  bread  into  His  Body  and  wine  into  His 
Blood?  Is  that  difficult  for  Him  who  is  Almighty-?" 
The  Protestant  had  nothing  to  answer. 

A  similar  argument  was  once  made  use  of  by  a  pious 
painter  named  Leonardo.  He,  one  day,  met  in  an  inn 
two  men,  one  of  whom  was  a  Lutheran  and  the  other  a 
Calvinist.  They  were  ridiculing  the  Catholic  doctrine 
about  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  The  Calvinist  pretended 
that  by  these  words,  "  this  is  My  Body,"  it  was  only 
meant  that  the  bread  signifies  the  Body  of  Christ ;  the 
Lutheran,  on  the  other  hand,  asserted  that  this  was  not 
true,  but  that  they  ms&nt  that  bread  and  wine,  in  the 
moment  of  their  reception,  became,  by  the  faith  of  the 
recipient,  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Christ.  While  this 
dispute  was  going  on,  Leonardo  took  a  piece  of  paper 
and  drew  the  image  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  with 
Luther  on  the  right  hand  and  Calvin  on  the  left.  Un- 
der the   image  of  our  Saviour  he  wrote  the  words : 


12  THE  DOCTRINE  OF 

"  This  is  My  Body."  Under  the  figure  of  Calvin  he 
wrote:  "This  signifies  My  Body;"  and  under  that  of 
Luther :  "  This  becomes  My  Body  in  the  moment  that 
you  eat  it."  Then  handing  the  paper  to  the  two  dis- 
putants, he  said :  "  Which  of  these  three  is  right,  our 
Saviour,  or  Calvin,  or  Luther?"  They  were  struck  at 
the  force  of  the  argument,  and  ceased  to  scoff  at  the 
Catholic  doctrine. 

Indeed,  this  objection  to  the  Real  Presence  is  but  a 
proof  of  the  blindness  into  which  men  fall  when  they 
are  led  astray  by  pride,  and  instigated  by  the  devil. 
The  devil  has  had  from  the  beginning  a  special  hatred 
to  this  doctrine.  In  the  early  ages  of  the  Church,  he 
incited  Simon  the  Magician  and  the  Manicheans  to  deny 
it,  and  in  later  times,  he  seduced  Berengarius  to  follow 
their  example ;  but  he  never  succeeded  so  well  as  with 
Luther,  Calvin,  Zwinglius,  and  the  other  heresiarchs 
of  the  sixteenth  century.  Luther  acknowledges  him- 
self that  the  devil  once  appeared  to  him  in  a  visible 
shape,  saying  to  him :  "  During  fifteen  years  you  have 
daily  celebrated  private  Masses,  what  if  all  those  Masses 
have  been  a  horrible  idolatry  ?  What  if  the  body  and 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ  be  not  present  there,  and  that 
yourself  adored  and  made  others  adore  bread  and 
wine."1  And,  indeed,  this  is  not  strange.  The  devil 
knows  that,  according  to  the  promise  of  Jesus  Christ, 
they  who  receive  holy  communion  worthily  will  not 
Ml  into  his  power,  but  will  obtain  eternal  life,  and  on 

1  See  History  of  the  Keformation,  by  M.  J.  Spalding,  D.D..  Archbishop 
of  Baltimore,  vol  L,  note  B.,  p.  476. 


THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  13 

this  account  he  either  tempts  men  to  disbelieve  the 
mystery,  or  he  suggests  every  sort  of  pretext  to  keep 
them  from  receiving  it.  But  he  himself  believes  it  and 
trembles.  Would,  to  God  that  all  men  had  so  strong  a 
faith ! 

After  our  Lord  had  changed  bread  into  His  Body, 
and  wine  into  "His  Blood,  He  added  the  words:  "Do 
this  in  remembrance  of  Me."  Now,  by  these  words, 
He  commanded  the  Apostles,  and  their  lawful  succes- 
sors, the  Catholic  bishops  and  priests,  to  consecrate,  i.  e.f 
to  change  bread  and  wine  into  His  Body  and  Blood. 
"  Do  this,'7  He  says  —  that  is  to  say,  "do  this  which  I 
have  done,  as  I  have  changed  bread  and  wine  into  My 
Body  and  Blood,  so  do  you  also  in  My  name,  change 
bread  and  wine  into  My  Body  and  Blood." 

This  change  takes  place  in  the  sacrifice  of  the  Mass, 
at  the  consecration.  The  moment  the  priest  pronounces 
the  words  of  the  consecration  over  the  bread  and  wine, 
that  very  instant  Jesus  Christ  is  present  as  truly  as 
He  is  in  heaven,  with  His  Body  and  Soul,  His  human- 
ity and  Divinity.  After  consecration  nothing  remains 
of  the  bread  and  wine  except  the  sensible  qualities  or 
appearances.  If,  for  instance,  the  bread  is  round,  its 
roundness  remains  after  the  consecration ;  if  it  is  white, 
its  whiteness  remains ;  if  it  has  a  certain  taste  or  quality 
before,  that  taste  or  quality  continues ;  and  so  with  the 
wine ;  the  particular  taste,  color,  and  every  other  sensi- 
ble quality  is  just  the  same  after  the  consecration  as  it 
was  before  it.  In  a  word,  whatever  is  capable  of  being 
perceived  bv  the  senses  remains,  but  the  substance, 
2 


t4  VBE  DOCTRINE  OF 

which  is  perceived  by  the  understanding  alone,  and  not 
by  the  senses,  is  changed. 

But  you  will  ask  perhaps:  "Why  does  our  Lord 
hide  Himself  under  the  outward  appearances  of  bread 
and  wine  ?  Why  does  He  not  manifest  Himself  under 
the  sensible  qualities  of  His  body,  with  His  wounded 
hands,  His  merciful  countenance,  His  radiant  majesty?  " 
Now,  our  Lord  does  so  chiefly  for  two  reasons.  The 
first  is,  that  we  may  not  lose  the  merit  of  faith.  Were 
we  to  see  Jesus  Christ  as  He  is  seen  by  the  blessed  in 
heaven,  we  could  no  longer  make  an  act  of  faith  in  His 
Real  Presence,  for /'faith  is  the  belief  in  things  which 
vv  e  do  not  see.'' *  Now,  our  Lord  wishes  to  bestow  on 
us,  after  this  life,  a  great  reward  for  our  faith,  as  He 
Himself  has  said :  "  Blessed  are  they  that  do  not  see 
and  yet  believe." 2  Many  of  the  saints,  in  order  not  to 
lose  the  merit  of  their  faith,  have  gone  so  far  as  to  beg 
our  Lord  not  to  favor  them  with  those  consoling  mani- 
festations of  Himself  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  which 
He  has  sometimes  granted  to  His  chosen  servants. 

One  day,  when  St.  Louis,  king  of  France,  was  in- 
vited to  go  to  a  church  in  which  our  Lord  appeared  in 
the  Holy  Eucharist  under  the  form  of  an  infant,  he  re- 
plied :  "  I  will  not  go  to  see  my  Lord  in  the  Holy  Eu- 
charist, because  I  believe  that  He  is  present  there  as 
firmly  as  if  I  had  seen  Him.  Let  those  go  and  see 
Him  who  do  not  believe." 

Surius  relates,  in  the  life  of  St.  Hugo,  that  a  priest 
of  a  certain  village  in  England,  on  breaking  the  sacred 

1  St.  Paul.  '  John  sx-  29* 


THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  15 

host  one  day  at  Mass,  saw  blood  issuing  from  it,  *  i  ^re 
upon,  filled  with  reverential  awe,  he  determined  to  lead 
a  holier  life  in  future,  and  in  fact  he  soon  became  re- 
nowned for  his  sanctity.  St.  Hugo  happened  once  to 
stop  at  this  village.  The  priest  related  this  miracle  to 
him,  and  offered  to  show  him  the  cloths  which  were  yet 
stained  with  the  miraculous  blood ;  but  the  holy  bishop 
refused  to  look  at  them,  and  would  not  even  allow  his 
attendants  to  do  so,  saying  that  such  wonders  and  sen- 
sible proofs  were  only  for  those  who  did  not  believe. 
And  when  he  noticed  that  some  of  his  attendants  had 
a  desire  to  see  them,  he  reprimanded  them  sharply,  and 
said  that  this  desire  proceeded  not  from  piety,  but  from 
curiosity,  and  that  it  was  more  perfect  to  believe  with- 
out seeing,  as  our  Lord  Himself  assures  us.  "Blessed 
are  they  that  have  not  seen  and  yet  believe."  ■ 

The  second  reason  why  our  Lord  hidp<  Himself  is, 
that  He  might  inspire  us  with  confidence.  If  He  were 
to  show  Himself  in  all  his  glory,  as  He  appears  to  the 
angels  and  saints  in  heaven,  who  would  dare  to  ap- 
proach Him?  Surely  no  one.  But  Jesus  most  ear- 
nestly desires  to  unite  Himself  intimately  to  our  souls, 
and,  therefore,  He  conceals  Himself  under  the  outward 
form  of  bread,  that  we  may  not  be  afraid  of  Him. 
"Our  great  King,"  says  St.  Teresa,  veils  Himself  that 
we  may  receive  Him  with  greater  confidence." 

In  order  to  enliven  our  faith  in  His  Real  Presence, 
our  Lord  has  frequently  manifested  Himself  in  a  sen- 
sible manner  in  the  Holy  Eucharist.     Church  history 

1  St.  John  xx.  29 


16  THE  DOCTRINE  OF 

abounds  in  instances  of  the  kind.  The  first  that  I  shall 
relate  is  that  of  a  miracle  which  occurred  in  the  church 
of  St.  Denis  in  Douay,  and  is  recorded  by  Thomas 
Cantipratensis,  an  eye-witness. 

A  certain  priest,  after  having  distributed  holy  com- 
munion to  the  faithful,  found  one  of  the  sacred  hosts 
lying  on  the  floor.  Full  of  consternation,  he  knelt 
down  to  take  it  up,  when  the  host  arose,  of  its  own 
accord,  and  placed  itself  on  the  purifier.  The  priest 
immediately  called  those  who  were  present,  and  wThen 
they  came  near  the  altar,  they  all  saw  in  the  sacred  host 
Jesus  Christ  under  the  form  of  a  child  of  exquisite 
beauty.  "  On  hearing  the  news,"  says  our  author,  "  I 
too  went  to  Douay.  After  I  had  declared  to  the  dean 
the  object  of  my  visit,  we  went  together  to  the  church, 
and  no  sooner  had  he  opened  the  ciborium  wherein  the 
miraculous  host  was  contained,  than  we  both  beheld 
our  Divine  Saviour."  "  I  saw,'7  says  Thomas,  "  the 
head  of  Jesus  Christ,  like  that  of  a  full-grown  man.  It 
was  crowned  with  thorns.  Two  drops  of  blood  trickled 
down  His  forehead  and  fell  on  his  cheek.  With  tearful 
eyes  I  fell  prostrate  before  Him.  When  I  arose  again, 
I  no  longer  saw  either  the  crown  of  thorns  or  the  drops 
of  blood,  but  only  the  face  of  a  man  whose  aspect  in- 
spired great  veneration."  This  miracle  gave  rise  to  a 
confraternity  in  honor  of  the  Most  Holy  Eucharist,  to 
which  several  popes,  especially  Paul  III.  and  Innocent 
XL  granted  numerous  indulgences.1 

In  the  village  of  Les  Ulmes  de  St.  Florcnt>  in  the 

1  X\  Favre  Le  Ciel  ouvert. 


THE  RE  A  L  PRESENCE.  1 ? 

diocese  of  Angers,  the  following  miracle  occurred  on 
the  second  of  June,  1666,  the  Saturday  within  the  oc- 
tave of  the  feast  of  Corpus  Christi.  The  people  were 
assembled  in  the  church  for  benediction,  and  when*  the 
priest  had  intoned  the  hymn,  "Verbum  Caro,  panem 
verum,"  there  appeared  in  place  of  the  host  the  distinct 
figure  of  a  man.  He  was  clothed  in  white,  and  His 
hands  were  crossed  on  His  breast;  'His  hair  fell  upon 
His  shoulders,  and  His  countenance  was  resplendent 
with  majesty.  The  curate  then  invited  all  his  parish- 
ioners to  come  and  witness  the  miracle :  "  If  there  be 
any  infidel  here,"  said  he,  "  let  him  now  draw  near." 
Every  one  approached  and  gazed  upon  this  beautiful 
vision  for  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  after  which  the 
host  resumed  its  former  shape.  The  bishop  of  Angers, 
Mgr.  Henry  Arnaud,  after  having  examined  the  testi- 
mony in  favor  of  this  miracle,  caused  it  to  be  proclaimed , 
throughout  the  whole  of  France. 

The  Blessed  Nicholas  Fattori,  a  Franciscan  friar,  re- 
markable for  his  piety  and  purity  of  heart,  often  saw 
Jesus  Christ  in  the  consecrated  host  in  the  form  of  an 
infant.  On  touching  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  he  seemed  to 
feel,  not  the  mere  Eucharistic  species,  but  the  very  flesh 
of  Jesus  Christ,  On  this  account  he  used  to  present  his 
fingers  to  those  who  wished  to  kiss  his  hand,  saying : 
"Kiss  these  fingers  with  great  respect,  for  they  are  sanc- 
tified by  real  contact  with  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord  and 
Sovereign  Good."  It  is  also  related  that,  when  this  holy 
man  was  in  the  presence  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  he  used 
to  rejoice  as  a  child  does  in  the  presence  of  its  mother. 
2*  b 


18  THE  DOCTRINE  OF 

Our  Lord,  in  His  great  mercy,  has  even  gone  so  far 
as  to  manifest  Himself  to  His  enemies,  to  the  unbe- 
lievers. 

In  the  life  of  St.  Gregory  the  Great,  written  by  Paul 
the  deacon,  it  Is  related  that  a  noble  matron  of  Rome 
who  was  accustomed  to  prepare  the  hosts  for  the  holy 
sacrifice  of  Mass,  went  one  Sunday  to  receive  holy  com- 
munion from  the  Holy  Pontiff.  When  he  gave  her  the 
Blessed  Eucharist,  saying:  "May  the  body  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  preserve  thy  soul  unto  life  everlasting," 
she  laughed  outright.  Seeing  this,  the  Sovereign  Pon- 
tiff did  not  give  her  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  but  replaced 
it  on  the  altar ;  and  when  the  holy  mysteries  were  ended, 
he  asked  the  lady  why  she  laughed  when  about  to  re- 
ceive the  Body  of  the  Lord.  "Why,"  said  she,  "I 
laughed  because  I  saw  that,  what  you  said  was  the 
Body  of  the  Lord,  was  one  of  those  very  wafers  which 
I  had  made  with  my  own  hands."  Upon  this  the 
Pope  ordered  all  present  to  pray  that  God,  in  confirma- 
tion of  the  truth,  would  cause  all  to  see  with  the  eyes 
of  the  body  what  the  unbelief  of  this  woman  had  pre- 
vented her  from  seeing  with  the  eyes  of  the  soul.  Ac- 
cordingly, when  the  holy  Pontiff  and  all  present  had 
prayed  for  a  while,  the  corporal  was  removed,  and  in 
sight  of  the  multitude  who  pressed  round  to  witness 
the  miracle,  the  holy  host  was  visibly  changed  into 
flesh.  Then,  turning  to  the  woman,  the  Pope  said ; 
Learn  now  to  believe  the  words  of  the  Eternal  Trhifi 
Who  declares :  "  The  bread  which  I  give  is  My  flesh, 
and  My  blood  is  drink  indeed."     This  woman  never 


THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  19 

again  doubted  of  the  Real  Presence,  and  soon   made 
great  progress  in  virtue. 

I  shall  adduce  only  one  more  instance  which  is  re- 
lated by  St.  Alphonsus,  in  his  History  of  Heresies.  It 
occurred  about  the  time  in  which  Wiekliffe  began  to 
deny  the  Catholic  doctrine  of  the  Real  Presence.  Some 
Jews  procured  a  sacred  host,  through  a  servant-girl 
whom  they  had  bribed  to  receive  it  unworthily.  They 
then  carried  it  to  an  inn,  where  they  cut  it  into  several 
pieces.  Immediately  a  great  quantity  of  blood  issued 
from  each  of  the  particles;  but  this  miracle  did  not  con- 
vert those  unhappy  wretches.  They  now  concealed  the 
particles  in  a  meadow  near  the  city  of  Posen.  Some 
time  afterwards,  a  cowherd,  on  crossing  this  meadow, 
saw  the  small  particles  of  the  host  rising  into  the  air 
and  shining  like  fiery  flames;  he  saw,  moreover,  thafc 
the  oxen  fell  on  their  knees  as  if  in  adoration.  The 
cowherd,  who  was  a  Catholic,  told  his  father  what  he 
had  seen,  and  the  father,  having  also  witnessed  the  mir- 
acle, acquainted  the  magistrate  of  the  fact.  Thereupon 
a  great  concourse  of  people  flocked  to  the  place  to  wit- 
ness the  miracle.  In  fine,  the  Bishop,  with  the  clergy 
of  the  city,  went  in  procession  to  the  place,  and  having 
deposited  the  holy  particles  in  a  ciborium,  they  carried 
them  to  the  church.  A  small  chapel  was  built  on  the 
spot  where  this  miracle  occurred.  This  chapel  was 
afterwards  enlarged  and  converted  into  a  magnificent 
church  by  Wenceslaus,  king  of  Bohemia;  and  Stephen, 
the  Archbishop,  testifies  to  his  having  seen  in  this 
church  these  bloody  particles. 


20  THE  DOCTRINE  OF 

aou  might  be  inclined  to  infer  from  this  narrative 
that  our  Lord's  body  is  really  broken,  and  His  blood 
really  shed  whenever  the  host  is  cut  or  divided ;  but 
this  is  not  the  case.  In  the  Blessed  Sacrament  our 
Lord's  body  remains  whole  and  entire  in  each  particle, 
s  it  was  in  the  entire  host.  The  Fathers  of  the  Church 
.^rplain  this  by  the  comparison  of  a  broken  mirror,  for, 
jiUBt  as  each  part  of  the  mirror  reflects  the  entire  image 
which  the  whole  reflected  before  it  was  broken,  so  als* 
floes  each  particle  of  the  host  contain  Christ's  body  en- 
tire, as  the  whole  host  did  before  it  was  broken.  And 
what  is  true  of  the  host  is  true  also  of  the  chalice;  our 
Lord  is  present  under  each  drop  of  blood  as  truly  as 
<j;<ler  the  whole  species  in  the  chalice. 

Whenever,  therefore,  the  host  is  broken,  or  the  blood 
spilt,  it  is  not  our  Lord's  body  and  blood  that  are 
broken  and  divided,  but  only  the  sacred  species.  More- 
over, our  Lord's  blood,  as  well  as  His  body,  is  present 
under  the  form  of  bread,  and  His  body,  as  well  as  His 
blood,  is  present  under  the  appearance  of  wine.  At 
His  resurrection,  our  Lord's  soul  was  reunited  to  His 
body  and  blood,  never  to  bo  again  separated;  so  that 
where  His  body  is,  there  also  is  His  blood,  His  soul, 
and  His  Divinity  ;  and  where  His  blood  is  there  also 
are  His  body,  soul,  and  Divinity.  In  a  word,  Christ 
:.s  present  whole  and  entire  under  the  species  of  bread 
as  well  as  in  the  least  particle  of  it,  and  He  is  also 
present  whole  and  entire  under  the  species  of  wine,  as 
well  as  in  the  least  particle  of  it.  On  this  account,  the 
Church    moved  by  several  weighty  reasons,  commuiu- 


THE  REAL   PRESENCE. 


91 


cates  the  faithful  under  the  form  of  bread  only,  know- 
ing that  they  are  thereby  deprived  of  no  part  of  the 
Sacrament,  but  that  they  receive  the  blood  of  J&u3 
Christ  as  truly  as  if  they  drank  it  out  of  the  chalice. 
That  our  Lord's  blood  is  contained  along  with  Hia 
body  in  the  sacred  host,  is  proved,  not  only  by  the 
authority  of  the  Church  and  the  Scriptures,  and  by  tha 
arguments  from  reason  which  I  have  just  stated,  bnJ 
also  by  numerous  miracles.  Some  of  those  wliksli  I 
have  already  related  prove  this  doctrine.  I  will  ih.  •• 
fore,  add  but  one  more. 

It  is  related  in  the  chronicles  of  the  Hieronimites, 
that  a  religious  of  that  order,  named  Peter  of  Cavane- 
las,  was  much  tempted  by  doubts  about  the  presence 
of  blood  in  the  sacred  host.  It  pleased  God  to  deliver 
him  from  the  temptation  in  the  following  manner:  On? 
Saturday,  as  he  was  saying  Mass  in  honor  of  ou: 
Blessed  Lady,  a  thick  cloud  descended  upon  the  altar 
ind  enveloped  it  completely.  When  the  cloud  had 
disappeared,  he  looked  for  the  host  he  had  consecrated, 
Out  could  not  find  it.  The  chalice,  too,  was  empty. 
Full  of  prayer,  he  prayed  to  God  to  assist  him  in  this 
perplexity,  whereupon  he  beheld  the  host,  upon  a  paten, 
in  the  air.  He  noticed  that  blood  was  flowing  from  it 
into  the  chalice.  The  blood  continued  to  flow  until 
the  chalice  was  as  full  as  it  had  been  before.  'After  his 
death,  this  miracle  was  found  recorded  in  his  own  hand- 
writing. At  the  time  it  happened,  nothing  was  known 
about  it,  as  our  Lord  enjoined  secrecy  upon  him.  Even 
the  person  who  served  his  Mass  knew  nothing  about 


22  THE  DOCTRINE  OF 

it;  he  only  noticed  that  the  priest  shed  many  tears,  and 
that  the  Mass  lasted  longer  than  usual. 

Ah !  how  mysterious,  yet  how  divine  and  how  eon- 
soling  is  the  doctrine  of  the  Real  Presence !  Indeed,  it 
is  one  of  the  most  wonderful  and  most  consoling  of  all 
doctrines.  It  is  the  centre  of  Catholic  devotion,  and 
has  ever  been  the  object  of  the  most  rapturous  contem- 
plation of  the  saints.  But  I  have  not  yet  mentioned  a 
fact  which,  I  believe,  will  increase  your  appreciation  of 
this  mystery.  It  is,  in  some  respects,  more  wonderful 
than  any  I  have  yet  mentioned,  and  with  it  1  will  con- 
clude my  instruction. 

There  have  been  many  holy  persons,  who  have  had 
a  supernatural  instinct  by  which  they  were  sensible  of 
the  presence  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
even  when  it  was  hidden  and  at  a  distance  from  them ; 
they  could  also  distinguish  a  consecrated  host  from  an 
unconsecrated  one.  Goerres,  in  his  celebrated  work 
entitled,  "  Christian  Mysticism/-'  notices  this  fact,  and 
thus  prefaces  the  enumeration  of  the  few  cases  which 
he  cites :  "  In  reference  to  the  holiest  of  all  things,  the 
Sacrament  of  the  Eucharist,  we  find  that  those  saints 
who  have  succeeded  in  raising  themselves  to  the  higher 
regions  of  spiritual  life,  were  all  endowed  with  the 
faculty  of  detecting  the  presence  of  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment, even  when  it  was  hidden  and  at  a  considerable 
distance.  Blessed  Ida  of  Lou  vain  was  always  sensible 
of  fcbi  presence  of  our  Lord  at  the  precise  moment  of 
consecration.  Once  when  the  server  at  Mass  had,  by 
mistake,  given  the  priest  water  instead  of  wine,  so  that 


THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  23 

tric^e  was  no  consecration,  St.  Coleta,  though  kneeling 
at  a  distance,  perceived  it  by  a  supernatural  instinct. 

"The  Cistercian  nun  Juliana  always  knew  when  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  was  moved  from  St.  Martin's  church 
at  the  close  of  the  service,  and  each  time  she  used  to  be 
overwhelmed  with  sadness.  This  was  frequently  wit- 
nessed by  her  friend  Eva.1  One  day  the  Franciscans 
of  Yillonda  invited  the  holy  Carmelite  Cassetus  to  visit 
them,  and  to  try  him  they  took  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
out  of  the  tabernacle  in  which  it  was  usually  kept  iind 
placed  it  elsewhere.  They  put  no  light  before  it,  but 
left  the  lamp  burning  as  usual  before  the  customary 
altar.  On  entering  the  church,  the  companion -of  Cas- 
setus turned  towards  the  high  altar,  but  Cassetus  im- 
mediately pointed  out  the  spot  where  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment had  been  placed,  saying :  "  The  body  of  our  Lord 
is  there,  and  not  where  the  lamp  is  burning;  the  brothers 
whom  you  see  behind  the  grating  have  placed  it  there 
in  order  to  try  us."2 

St.  Francis  Borgia  had  the  same  gift,  and  on  enter- 
ing a  church,  he  always  walked  straight  to  the  spot 
where  the  Blessed  Sacrament  was  kept,  even  when  no 
external  sign  indicated  its  presence.  In  1839,  Prince 
Licknowsky  visited  Mary  Moerl,  the  celebrated  Tyrol- 
ese  Virgin,  upon  whom  God  bestowed  so  many  miracu- 
lous gifts.  While  she  was  kneeling  in  ecstasy  on  her  bed, 
he  observed  that  she  moved  round  towards  the  window. 
Neither  he  nor  any  of  those  present  could  tell  the  cause 
of  this.    At  last,  on  looking  out,  they  saw  a  priest  pass- 

1  Ibid.  "  ■  Ibid. 


24  THE  DOCTRINE  OF 

ing  by,  carrying  the  Viaticum  to  the  sick,  without  bell 
or  chant,  or  any  sound  that  could  give  notice  of  its 
approach.1 

In  the  life  of  St.  Lidwina  of  Holland,  it  is  recorded 
that  the  priest,  in  order  to  try  her,  gave  her  an  uncon- 
secrated  host,  but  the  saint  perceived  that  it  was  only 
bread,  and  said  :  "  Your  Reverence  will  please  give  me 
another  host,  for  that  which  you  hold  in  your  hand  is 
not  Jesus  Christ." 

Blessed  Margaret  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  a  Car- 
melite nun  who  lived  in  France,  was  one  day  suffering 
great  pain.  Her  sisters,  wishing  to  ascertain  whether 
she  would  really  find  relief  in  the  presence  of  the  Blessed 
Sacrament,  to  which  she  had  a  singular  devotion,  car- 
ried her  at  first  to  various  places  in  which  the  Holy 
Eucharist  was  not  kept,  and  exhorted  her  to  pray  to 
Jesus  Christ;  but  she  answered  in  a  plaintive  voice:  "I 
do  not  find  my  Saviour  here,"  and  addressing  herself  to 
Him,  she  said  :  "  My  Lord,  I  do  not  find  here  Thy 
Divine  Truth,"  after  which  she  besought  her  sisters  to 
carry  her  into  the  presence  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament.2 

When  St.  Louis,  king  of  France,  was  on  his  death- 
bed, he  was  asked  by  the  priest  who  brought  him  the 
Viaticum,  whether  he  really  believed  that  Jesus  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God,  was  present  in  the  host.  The  saint, 
collecting  all  his  strength,  answered  with  a  loud  voice : 
"I  believe  it  as  firmly  as  if  I  saw  Him  present  in  the 
host,  just  as  the  Apostles  saw  Him  when  He  ascended 
gloriously  into  heaven." 

1  Catholic  Magazine.  ■  Her  life  by  P.  Poesl,  C.  S.S.  R. 


THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  25 

Now,  if  you  would  have  such  faith  as  this  great  saint, 
make  use  of  the  following  means :  First,  make  many 
acts  of  faith  in  the  real  presence  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the 
Blessed  Sacrament.  Make  them  at  home ;  kneel  down 
in  your  room ;  turn  toward  some  church  in  which  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  is  kept  and  say:  "My  Jesus,  I 
firmly  believe  that  Thou  art  present'  in  that  church ;  I 
sincerely  wish  to  be  with  Thee;  but  since  this  is  impos- 
sible, I  beseech  Thee  to  give  Thy  blessing  to  me  and  to 
all  men."  Make  such  acts  of  faith  when  you  are  abroad 
or  when  you  are  at  your  work  :  turn  from  time  to  time 
towards  the  Blessed  Sacrament  and  say  :  "My  amiable 
Saviour,  bless  me  and  everything  that  I  do;  I  will  do 
and  suffer  everything  for  love  of  Thee."  Make,  such 
acts  of  faith  on  your  way  to  church.  Say  to  yourself: 
"  I  am  going  to  visit  the  King  of  heaven  and  earth ;  I 
am  going  to  see  my  good  Jesus,  my  amiable  Saviour, 
Who  died  on  the  cross  for  me,  a  wretched  sinner;  I 
am  going  to  visit  the  best  of  fathers,  Who  even  con- 
siders it  a  favor  when  I  have  recourse  to  Him  in  my 
necessities." 

Finally,  excite  your  faith  when  you  are  in  church. 
Kneel  with  profound  reverence  and  adore  your  God 
and  Creator,  saying :  "  My  God,  I  firmly  believe  that 
Thou  art  in  this  tabernacle.  I  believe  that  in  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  the  same  God  is  present  Who  cre- 
ated heaven  and  earth  out  of  nothing;  the  same  God 
Who  became  an.  infant  for  my  sake ;  Who,  after  His 
death  and  resurrection,  ascended  into  heaven,  and  now 
sits  at  the  right  hand  of  God  the  Father  Almighty; 


%6  THE  DOCTRINE  OF 

the  same  Who,  at  the  end  of  the  world,  will  come  in 
great  majesty  to  judge  the  living  and  the  dead." 

This,  then,  is  the  first  rule — to  make  many  acts  of 
faith.  The  second  is  —  to  keep  yourself  free  from  sin; 
for  God  will  not  bestow  the  gift  of  a  lively  faith  on  a 
soul  that  is  dead  in  sin.  The  third  and  most  effica- 
cious means  to  gain  a  strong  faith  in  the  real  presence 
of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  is  —  to  pray 
for  it.  "  He  that  asketh  receiveth."  Hence,  if  you 
wish  to  have  a  lively  faith  in  this  mystery,  a  faith  that 
will  make  you  exult  when  in  the  presence  of  the  Holy 
Eucharist,  or  even  when  you  think  of  it— ask  it  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  be  assured  that  you  will  receive  it. 
But  since  this  lively  faith  is  a  gift  of  inestimable  value, 
Jesus  Christ  wishes  that  Ave  should  ask  for  it  again  and 
again  without  ceasing.  Pray,  therefore,  for  it,  until  you 
have  obtained  it,  and  when  you  have  obtained  this  great 
gift,  continue  to  pray  that  it  may  never  be  taken  from 
you.  Make  this  prayer  especially  during  Mass.  Heai 
Mass  frequently,  and  especially  in  the  time  between 
the  consecration  and  the  communion,  beseech  Jesus 
Christ  to  grant  your  petition,  and  doubt  not  in  the 
least  that  you  will  obtain  it. 

A  young  cleric  once  heard  a  missionary  preach  on 
the  Real  Presence,  and  on  the  great  love  of  Jesus 
Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  The  preacher  spoke 
with  as  lively  a  faith  as  if  he  saw  Jesus  Christ  with  his 
eyes.  The  young  man  was  struck  afthis,  and  said  to 
himself:  "O  my  Lord!  what  shall  become  of  me?  I, 
too,  must  one  day  preach  on  Thy  presence  in  the  Holy 


THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  27 

Eucharist ;  but  how  feeble  will  my  words  be  in  com- 
parison with  the  words  of  this  pious  priest ! "  The 
young  man  related  this  afterwards,  and  he  added  that, 
from  that  time  forward,  he  had  always  begged  of  Jesus 
Christ  the  gift  of  a  lively  faith  in  the  Real  Presence, 
and  that  he  had  done  so  frequently  during  Mass,  par- 
ticularly at  the  time  of  the  elevation.  By  this  means 
his  faith  became  so  strong  that  he  afterwards  besought 
our  Lord  not  to  appear  to  him  in  any  sensible  manner ; 
and  he  could  find  nowhere  so  much  joy  and  content- 
ment of  heart  as  in  a  church  where  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment was  preserved. 

Often  call  to  mind  the  wonders  which  Jesus  Christ 
has  wrought  in  this  mystery  of  love ;  make  many  acts 
of  faith  in  His  Real  Presence ;  lead  a  very  chaste  life ; 
often  beseech  Jesus  Christ  to  give  you  a  lively  faith, 
especially  when  you  have  received  Holy  Communion : 
and  then  rest  assured  that  your  faith  will  become  strong 
and  lively,  like  the  faith  of  a  saint,  and  your  happiness 
will  be  unbounded.  In  days  of  yore,  God  complained 
that  the  Jews  did  not  know  Him  :  "  The  ox  knoweth 
his  owner,  and  the  ass  his  master's  crib :  but  Israel 
hath  not  known  Me,  and  My  people  hath  not  under- 
stood." And  when  our  Divine  Saviour  came  on  earth, 
He  repeated  the  same  reproach.  When  Philip  said  to 
our  Lord,  at  the  Last  Supper :  "  Lord,  show  us  the 
Father,  and  it  is  enough  for  us,"  our  Saviour  re- 
proached him,  saying :  "  Have  I  been  so  long  with  you 
and  you  have  not  known  Me?  Philip,  he  that  seeth 
Me,  seeth  the  Father  also."     In  the  same  manner  does 


28         THE  DOCTRINE  OF  THE  REAL  PRESENCE. 

our  dear  Saviour,  hidden  under  the  Sacramental  veils, 
seem  to  reproach  us:  "  I,  your  God  and  Redeemer, 
have  been  so  long  with  you  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
and  yet  you  do  not  know  Me?  Do  you  know  that 
when  you  see  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  you  see  Me,  your 
Jesus?  Do  you  not  know  that  when  you  are  in  the 
presence  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament  you  are  in  My  Di- 
vine Presence?"  Alas!  this  reproach  is  but  too  just. 
How  true  are  the  words  of  the  Evangelist :  "  He  wras 
in  the  world,  and  the  world  was  made  by  Him,  and 
the  world  knew  Him  not.  He  came  unto  His  own, 
and  His  own  received  Him  not."  May  you,  my  dear 
reader,  never  deserve  this  reproach,  but  rather  may  you 
be  of  the  number  of  those  of  whom  the  same  Evangel- 
ist says :  "  But  as  many  as  received  Him  (that  is,  with 
a  lively  faith,)  to  them  He  hath  given  power  to  be 
made  the  Sons  of  God."  May  you  live  on  earth  as  a 
Child  of  God,  and  after  death  may  you  be  received  into 
the  kingdom  of  your  heavenly  Father,  where,  in  re- 
ward for  your  faith,  you  will  see,  face  to  face,  Him 
whom  you  have  adored  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and 
will  hear  from  His  lips  the  consoling  words:  "  Come, 
My  well-beloved,  blessed  art  thou,  because,  though 
thou  hast  not  seen,  hast  yet  believed." 


CHAPTER  II. 


ON  THE  REVERENCE  DUE  TO  JESUS  CHRIST 
IN  TEE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT. 

YOUNG  Portuguese  travelled  to  India  to 
seek  his  fortune.  In  a  few  years  he  returned 
to  Europe,  accompanied  by  several  of  his  own 
vessels  laden  with  wealth,  the  fruits  of  his 
toil  and  researches.  Having  arrived  at  his  native 
place:  "Stay,"  said  he  to  himself,  "I  must  play  a  little 
deception  on  my  relations."  He  put  on  soiled  gar- 
ments and  a  torn  cloak,  and  hastened  to  the  house  of 
his  cousin  Peter.  In  this  disguise  he  claimed  relation- 
ship :  "  I  am  your  cousin  John,"  said  he.  "  I  have 
passed  several  years  in  India;  I  now  return  to  visit  my 
friends  and  native  land  once  more.  You  see  my  posi- 
tion, and  thus,  by  ties  of  kindred,  I  crave  hospitality 
at  your  hands."  "Ah!  would  to  heaven  I  could  ac- 
commodate you,  my  dear  John,"  replied  Peter.  "  Ex- 
cuse me,  my  house  is  wholly  occupied."  John,  play- 
ing his  role,  proceeds  to  another  friend's  house,  makes 
the  same  advance,  realizes  the  same  reply,  and  thus  to 
a  third  and  fourth.  His  poverty-stricken  appearance 
had  thus  driven  him  from  door  to  door.     Ah !  poor 


s* 


29 


30  ON  TIIE  REVERENCE  DUE  TO 

deluded  friends,  little  did  you  imagine  that  under  that 
tattered  garment  a  man  of  wealth  lay  concealed.  John 
hastened  back  to  his  ships,  cast  aside  his  beggar's  dress, 
robed  himself  in  costly  attire,  and,  followed  by  a  mul- 
titude of  servants,  proceeded  at  once  to  purchase  a 
princely  dwelling  in  the  very  heart  of  the  city.  His 
fabulous  wealth,  his  lordly  retinue,  his  high-blooded 
steeds,  were  the  talk  of  the  town  and  neighborhood. 
The  news  soon  reached  the  ears  of  his  friends.  Picture 
to  yourselves,  if  you  can,  their  wondrous  amazement ! 
How  changed  would  their  conduct  now  be  if  the  oppor- 
tunity could  but  present  itself  anew!  Listen  to  the 
altered  tone  of  their  language  :  "  What  is  the  meaning 
of  all  this?"  said  one  to  the  other.  " Could  you  have 
supposed  this  for  a  moment  ?  Had  I  but  known  this 
before,  my  friend  would  have  met  with  very  different 
treatment  at  my  hands ;  but  alas !  it  is  now  too  late. 
We  have  repulsed  him  forever. ?) 

The  foregoing  story  serves  as  an  illustration  of  what 
takes  place  between  Christians  and  their  Lord.  This 
man  went  to  his  friends  as  a  beggar,  attired  in  poor, 
tattered  garments,  disguising  thus  his  affluence  and 
power.  In  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  does  not 
our  Blessed  Lord  act  in  the  same  manner.  Does  He, 
whilst  silently  remaining  enclosed  in  our  Tabernacles, 
by  day  and  by  night,  display  His  heavenly  glory  and 
brightness  ?  No ;  but  He  there  remains,  as  it  were,  in 
a  poor,  miserable  dress,  under  the  humble  appearance 
of  bread.  This  stranger  came  to  his  friends  a  second 
time  in  rich  and   royal  attire,  escorted  by  numerous 


JESUS  CHRIST  IN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.       ol 

attendants.  Jesus  Christ  will  come  again,  at  the  end 
of  the  world,  enthroned  on  the  clouds  of  heaven,  in 
great  power  and  majesty.  Myriads  of  Angels  and 
blessed  spirits  will  surround  Him  on  every  side,  for 
wealth,  glory,  and  power  are  His.  To  whom  can  we 
compare  those  unkind  friends  of  our  narrative  ?  Un- 
fortunately, to  a  very  great  number  of  Christians  of  the 
present  day.  How  is  that,  you  will  ask  me,  perhaps  ? 
Because,  as  they  paid  little  or  no  attention  to  their  rela- 
tive in  his  poverty,  so,  in  the  same  manner,  a  great 
many  Christians  pay  little  or  no  reverence  to.  Jesus 
Christ,  when  humbly  concealect  in  the  Sacrament  of 
His  love.  After  this  conduct  of  Christians,  let  us  not 
be  astonished  if  we  hear  of  infidels  or  heretics  treating 
our  Lord  with  irreverence  in  the  Holy  Eucharist. 

Once  a  Jewess  pushed  her  temerity  and  hardihood  so 
far  as  to  receive  Holy  Communion  with  the  Christians. 
Her  audacity  was  immediately  detected,  although,  when 
she  had  received  the  Sacred  Host,  she  bowed  down 
most  profoundly,  covering  her  face  with  her  hands,  a^ 
though  wrapped  in  the  purest  devotion,  'Yell,  you 
will  say,  "How  did  she  betray  herself?"  Those  who 
were  near  her  noticed  that  she  was  keeping  the  Sacred 
Host  in  her  mouth  and  treating  it  with  irreverence. 
She  acted  thus  in  order  to  ridicule  and  dishonor  Jesus 
Christ,  the  God  of  the  Christians.  The  observers  of 
this  conduct  concluded  that  she  must  be  either  a  sorcer- 
ess, or,  as  was  really  the  case,  an  unbelieving  Jewess. 

In  what  does  her  conduct  differ  from  that  of  many 
people  of  our  day?     Do  we  not  see  men  who  hardlv 


62  ON  THE  REVERENCE  DUE  TO 

bow  their  head,  much  less  bend  the  knee  when  passing 
before  that  Most  August  Sacrament?  Women  enter 
the  church  who,  by  their  dress  and  thoughtlessness, 
cannot  claim  any  high  prerogative  in  the  modesty  of 
their  sex.  Men  even  grant  full  liberty  to  their  wanton 
gaze,  heedless  of  the  penetrating  eye  of  their  God  Who 
fills  that  temple,  and  Whose  sight  has  already  pierced 
their  souls.  When,  at  processions  intended  to  honor 
the  Blessed  Sacrament,  I  see  such  behavior,  I  must 
conclude  that  this  is  the  result  of  the  most  complete 
indifference  towards  Jesus  Christ,  or  a  total  forgetful- 
ness  of  His  Presence.  What  then ;  shall  I  call  these 
persons  Jews  ?  shall  I  call  them  sorcerers  ?  No.  But 
I  think  I  shall  not  be  far  astray  in  saying  that  they 
have  not  a  lively  faith.  They  may  be  Catholics,  if  you 
will,  but,  certainly,  their  faith  is  not  practical.  They 
do  not  realize  that  Jesus  Christ  is  present  in  the  taber- 
nacle and  in  the  remonstrance.  They  are  deceived  by 
their  senses.  In  the  remonstrance,  or  in  the  hands  of 
the  priest  at  Mass,  they  see  nothing  but  the  white  host, 
and  their  thoughts  penetrate  no  farther.  But  if  they 
only  reflected  on  what  their  faith  teaches,  viz.,  that 
under  that  little  host  Jesus  Christ  conceals  His  heav- 
enly splendor  and  glory,  how  different  would  be  their 
deportment !  how  different  their  thoughts  and  feelings  ! 
Would  you  know  how  they  would  act  if  their  faith  was 
real  and  lively  ?  Go  to  the  palace  of  a  king.  Mark 
the  silent  expectation  in  that  splendid  apartment! 
What  mean  those  movements  so  circumspect?  that 
tread  so  noiseless  ?  that  voice  so  subdued  ?     Ah !   'tis 


JESUS  CHRIST  IN  THE  BLESSED  SACix^MENT.      33 

the  Royal  Antechamber!  Theresa  loud  word  is  an 
impertinence ;  there,  unbecoming  attire  is  a  crime.  But 
hark  I  even  that  stealthy  conversation  is  hushed ;  every 
eye  is  turned  to  one  point,  each  one  assumes  the  most 
respectful  attitude,  the  curtain  is  drawn,  and  the  obse- 
quious courtiers  stand  in  the  presence  of  their  King. 
What  an  unpardonable  breach  of  decorum  would  it  not 
be  for  any  one,  to  remain  sitting  at  a  moment  like  this  ! 
Yes,  to  talk,  to  laugh,  or  to  remain  with  head  covered ! 

Now,  if  such  honor  is  paid  to  earthly  princes,  what 
reverence  is  not  then  due  to  Him  Who  is  "  King  of 
kings  and  Lord  of  lords  ?"  St.  John  Chrysostom  h 
indignant  with  us  for  even  making  the  comparison,  and 
it  is  with  reason.  For  what  is  an  emperor  when  com- 
pared  to  the  King  of  Heaven  and  earth?  lie  is  less 
than  the  blade  of  grass  when  compared  to  the  whole 
universe. 

Whenever  the  Blessed  Sacrament  is  exposed  in  the 
tabernacle,  borne  in  procession,  or  carried  as  Viaticum 
to  the  sick ;  whenever  the  sacred  host  is  raised  at  the 
consecration  in  the  Mass,  our  infallible  faith  says  to  us: 
"Ecce  Rex  vester!"  "Behold  your  King  I" 
Behold  your  Redeemer,  your  Judge,  your  Creator, 
your  God ! 

If,  then,  in  the  presence  of  the  Most  Holy  Sacrament 
I  feel  no  devotion  interiorly,  and  show  no  modesty  ex- 
teriorly, what  will  you  think  of  me?  You  will  say 
with  truth  and  justice  that:  "that  man  does  not  believe 
that  his  God  is  present  there ;"  or  again,  "that  man's 
faith  is  cold  and  dead." 

C 


34  ON  THE  REVERENCE  DUE  TO 

Who  could  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  is  present  in 
this  Sacrament, and  fail  in  reverence  towards  it?  What 
reverence  did  not  the  Jews  pay  to  the  ark  of  the  Cove- 
nant !  No  one  dared  approach  it ;  yet  fifty  thousand 
persons  who,  through  curiosity,  ventured  to  gaze  there- 
at, were  struck  dead,  as  a  punishment  for  their  rash 
act  I1  Yet,  what  did  the  ark  contain?  "A  golden  pot 
that  had  manna,  and  the  rod  of  Aaron  that  had  blos- 
somed, and  the  tables  of  the  covenant."2  But  in  the 
Holy  Eucharist,  faith  tells  us  that  God  Himself  is  pres- 
ent, He  Who  made  all  things  out  of  nothing,  and  could 
destroy  them  in  a  moment.  He  who,  at  the  last  day, 
will  come  on  the  clouds  of  heaven  to  judge  the  living 
and  the  dead.  Only  let  Catholics  believe  this  with  a 
lively  faith,  and  our  churches  will  be  filled  with  wor- 
shippers, whose  deportment  will  correspond  to  their 
belief.  The  modest  attire,  the  guarded  eye,  the  bended 
knee,  the  meekly  folded  hands,  will  bespeak  the  convic- 
tion of  their  hearts.  Only  let  Catholics  have  a  lively 
faith  in  this  mystery,  and  Jesus  Christ  will  seldom  be 
left  alone.  At  all  hours,  His  children  will  come  to 
present  themselves  before  Him,  as  subjects  before  their 
prince,  as  sick  men  before  their  physician,  as  children 
before  their  father,  in  a  word,  as  friends  before  their 
beloved  friend.  Only  let  a  congregation  be  animated 
with  a  lively  faith  in  this  doctrine  of  our  holy  religion, 
and  each  mind  will  be  filled  with  amazement,  the  spirit 
will  be  recollected,  the  soul  moved  to  contrition,  the 
ai?: rations  inflamed,  the  eye  melted  to  tears  of  tender- 

1  1  Kings  vi.  19.  5  Heb,  ix.  t. 


JESUS  CHRIST  IN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.      35 

ness,  and  the  voice  broken  with  sighs  like  those  of  the 
poor  puMican:  " 0  God,  be  merciful  to  me  a  miner!" 
or  like  unt^  that  of  St.  Peter,  "  Lord,  retire  from  me, 
j  or  I  am  a  sinful  man!"  Thus  reverence  is  nothing 
more  than  a  lively  faith.  The  reality  of  the  Divine 
Presence  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  is  the  true  rule  of 
our  deportment  before  it.  The  Catholic  has  within 
himself  the  rule  of  decorum.  He  needs  nothing  else  to 
teach  him  what  is  proper  or  improper  in  church,  be- 
sides the  dogma  which  assures  him  that  he  is  in  the 
presence  of  his  God.  If,  then,  he  be  but  a  little  recol- 
lected, he  will  be,  almost  necessarily,  respectful. 

This,  then,  is  the  great  means  of  preserving  a  rever- 
ent deportment,  to  remember  Who  He  is  that  is  en- 
closed in  the  tabernacle,  and  what  we  are,  viz. :  that 
our  Divine  Saviour  is  in  our  midst,  and  that  we  are 
His  creatures  and  subjects,  come  to  worship  Him. 
But  although  our  faith  is  sufficient  to  teach  us  how  we 
ought  to  behave  before  our  Lord,  yet  because  it  is 
sometimes  difficult  to  keep  in  mind  the  truths  of  faith, 
and  because  examples  are  always  more  powerful  than  a 
bare  precept,  I  will  set  before  you  some  striking  exam- 
ples, which  may  serve  to  impress  upon  your  mind  the 
duty  of  reverence  towards  the  Blessed  Sacrament. 
First,,  I  will  propose  the  example  of  the  Angels.  St. 
Basil  and  St.  John  Chrysostom1  testify  to  having  seen 
at  the  time  of  Mass  many  hosts  of  Angels  in  human 
form,  clothed  with  white  garments  and  standing  round 
the  altar  as  soldiers  stand  before  their  king.    But  what 

'   De  SiK-erd.,  lib.  0.  c.  4-    v 


36  ON  THE  REVERENCE  DUE  TO 

was  their  attitude  and  deportment  ?  Their  heads  were 
bowed,  their  faces  covered,  their  hands  crossed,  and  the 
whole  body  so  profoundly  inclined  as  to  express  the 
deepest  sense  of  their  own  un worthiness  to  appear  be- 
fore the  Divine  Majesty.  O  would  we  but  think  of 
this  !  The  Angels,  those  pure  spirits,  shrink  before  the 
Infinite  Holiness  of  God,  and  we  allow  vain,  worldly, 
and  even  sinful  thoughts  to  insinuate  themselves  into 
our  minds  in  His  Presence !  The  Angels  tremble  be- 
fore His  Greatness,  and  we  fear  not  to  talk  and  laugh 
in  His  Presence !  The  Angels,  those  princes  of  heaven, 
are  all  humility  and  modesty,  and  we,  the  dust  of  the 
earth  and  miserable  sinners,  all  impertinence  and  pride! 
The  Angels  veil  their  faces  before  His  splendor,  and  we 
do  not  even  so  much  as  cast  down  our  eyes,  but  rudely 
stare  and  gaze  around  !  The  Angels  bow  down  to  the 
earth,  and  we  will  not  bend  our  knee !  The  Angels, 
full  of  awe,  fold  their  hands  upon  their  breasts,  and  we 
allow  ourselves  every  freedom  of  attitude  and  move- 
ment ! !  O  what  a  subject  of  confusion !  What  hu- 
miliating reflections  !     What  an  impressive  lesson  ! 

Secondly,  I  will  take  you  from  the  princes  of  heaven 
to  the  princes  of  the  earth,  and  teach  you  a  lesson  from 
the  example  of  kings  and  nobles.  There  are  many 
beautiful  examples  on  record  of  the  homage  which 
kings  and  emperors  have  paid  to  the  Saviour  of  man- 
kind, so  humbly  hidden  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament. 
Philip  II.,  King  of  Spain,  always  dispensed  with  regal 
pomp  and  pageantry  when  he  assisted  at  processions  of 
the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and,  as  an  ordinary  personage, 


JESUS  CHRIST  IN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.      3? 

mingled  with  the  common  throng.  Inclemency  Qf 
weather  deterred  him  not  from  paying  this  tribute  of 
honor  to  his  Lord.  One  day,  as  he  was  devoutly  ac 
companying  the  Blessed  Sacrament  with  uncovered 
head,  a  page  held  his  hat  over  him,  to  shield  him  from 
the  burning  sun.  "  Never  mind,"  said  Philip,  "  th* 
sun  will  do  me  no  harm ;  at  such  a  time  as  this  we 
must  regard  neither  rain  nor  wind,  heat  nor  cold." 

On  another  occasion,  whilst  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
was  being  carried  a  great  distance  to  a  sick  person, 
Philip  accompanied  it  all  the  way  on  foot.  The  priest, 
observing  this,  asked  him  if  he  were  not  tired.  "  Tired ! " 
replied  he,  "behold  !  my  servants  wait  upon  me  both  by 
day  and  by  night,  and  never  yet  have  I  heard  one  of 
th*m  complain  of  being  tired.  Shall  I,  then,  complain 
of  fatigue  when  I  am  waiting  upon  my  Lord  and  my 
(rod,  Whom  I  can  never  sufficiently  serve  and  honor ! " 

Rudolph,  Count  of  Hapsburg,  whilst  hunting  one 
day,  observed  a  priest  carrying  the  Viaticum  to  the 
sick,  whereupon  he  immediately  alighted,  and  insisted 
on  the  priest  mounting  in  his  place.  The  offer  was 
accepted  The  priest,  having  gone  through  his  sacred 
and  pastoral  duty,  returned  the  animal,  with  many 
marks  of  gratitude,  to  the  Count.  But  this  noble  and 
Christian  Count  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  accept 
it,  "  No,"  said  he,  "  keep  it,  for  I  am  not  worthy  to 
ride  upon  a  horse  which  has  borne  my  Lord."1 

Whilst  the  Lutheran  heresy  was  spreading  its  rav- 
ages throughout  Germany,  Charles  V.,  of  Spain,  haet- 

1  Bursa's  History  of  Austria. 


38  ON  THE  REVERENCE  DUE  TO 

ened  to  Augsburg  to  assist  at  the  diet  convened  there 
to  stem  the  pernicious  influence  of  this  heresy.  The 
feast  of  Corpus  Christi  fell  at  that  time.  It  was  cele- 
brated with  every  possible  pomp  and  magnificence ;  the 
Emperor  Charles  assisted  thereat  with  the  most  edifying 
devotion.  At  the  procession,  the  Prince  Bishop  of  May- 
ence  carried  the  Most  xldorable  Sacrament,  being  sup- 
ported on  the  right  by  Ferdinand,  the  Koman  King  — 
on  the  left  by  Joachim,  Elector  of  Brandenburg.  The 
canopy  was  borne  by  six  princes,  namely,  Louis,  Duke 
of  Bavaria;  the  son  of  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg; 
George,  Duke  of  Pomcrania;  Philip,  Count  Palatine 
of  Werdelburg;  Henry,  Duke  of  Brunswick,  and  the 
Duke  of  Mecklenburg.  When  these  six  princes  had 
carried  it  as  far  as  the  Chapel  on  Mount  Berlach,  six 
others  took  it  and  carried  it  to  a  place  called  the  Holy 
Cross,  whence  six  others  bore  it  to  the  Cathedral.  The 
Emperor  Charles,  torch  in  hand,  on  foot  and  with  un- 
covered head,  accompanied  by  several  Archbishops, 
Bishops,  and  many  persons  of  high  rank,  followed  the 
procession  during  the  whole  route. 

Such  noble  traits  of  devotion  are  not  confined  to  days 
gone  by;  in  our  own  times  we  see  princes  who  have  in- 
herited from  their  fathers  this  true  devotion  to  the 
Most  Holy  Sacrament.  Of  the  present  Emperor  of 
Austria  it  is  related  that,  one  day  as  he  was  riding 
through  the  streets  of  Vienna,  at  the  signal  announcing 
that  the  Blessed  Sacrament  was  being  carried  to  the 
sick,  he  immediately  stopped  his  carriage,  alighted,  and, 
on  bended  knees,  there  devoutly  adored  his  Lord  and 


JESUS  CHRIST  IN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.      39 

God.     The  same  is  said  of  that  excellent  princess,  the 
late  queen  of  Belgium. 

Now,  these  instances  of  reverence  are  not  mentioned 
as  being  great  in  regard  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  Be- 
fore Him  Who  dwells  concealed  under  that  veil,  princes 
are  as  nothing.  Why,  then,  should  we  be  astonished 
at  this?  Why  look  on  this  tribute  of  devotion  as 
something  extraordinary  ?  ?Tis  true,  these  princes  are 
as  nothing  before  our  Lord,  but  they  are  great  and 
mighty  when  confronted  with  us,  and  may  well  serve 
to  remind  us  of  the  obligation  which  faith  imposes 
upon  us.  If,  then,  those,  whose  position  bespeak  honor 
and  ease,  cheerfully  submit  to  humiliation,  inconven- 
ience, and  pain  at  the  call  of  religion,  what  ought  we 
not  to  do  ?  We  cannot  boast  of  high  position  to  make, 
us  proud,  luxury  to  make  us  effeminate,  or  gentle  care 
to  make  us  tender.  On  the  contrary,  our  position  bows 
us  to  humility,  our  necessity  and  poverty  bend  us  to 
labor,  our  life  accustoms  us  to  forego  our  ease.  This 
being  the  case,  whilst  we  honor  the  great  ones  of  the 
earth,  shall  we  refuse  to  join  with  them  in  worshipping 
Him  Who  is  the  source  of  all  greatness,  and  Who  is 
above  all  ? 

We  have  seen  that  reverence  towards  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  is  enjoined  upon  us  by  faith  and  reason,  and 
preached  to  us  by  heaven  and  earth.  I  will,  then,  add 
but  one  more  reflection : .  it  is  urged  upon  us  by  the 
teaching  of  our  Holy  Mother  the  Church. 

To  what  tend  all  her  beautiful  ceremonial,  her  mi- 
nute ritual  and  her  costly  ornaments,  but  to  inspire  or 


40  ON  THE  REVERENCE  DUE  TO 

express  reverence  for  her  Divine  Spouse?  Why  is  the 
priest  who  celebrates  Mass,  and  the  faithful  who  receive 
communion,  required  to  be  fasting,  but  on  account  of 
the  greatness  of  the  Guest  they  are  about  to  receive? 
The  incense,  the  lights,  the  flowers,  the  vestments  of 
the  priests,  the  numerous  attendants,  the  gen  u  flex  i  or  s, 
are  not  all  these  to  honor  Him  Who  has  so  greatly 
humbled  Himself  for  the  love  of  us  ?  And  not  content 
with  her  daily  homage,  she  has  appointed  a  festival  in 
the  year,  for  the  express  purpose  of  repairing  the  inju- 
ries which  Jesus  Christ  has  received  from  men,  whether 
at  the  time  of  His  visible  sojourn  on  earth  or  since  the 
establishment  of  His  Eeligion,  especially  in  the  Sacra- 
ment of  His  love. 

What  is  the  procession  of  Corpus  Christi  but  o.  re- 
versal of  the  judgment  which  an  unbelieving  world 
passed  upon  our  Lord,  and  a  compensation  for  the  out- 
rages which  it  has  inflicted  on  Him  ?  As  He  was  once, 
in  the  most  ignominious  manner,  led  as  a  malefactor 
through  the  streets  of  Jerusalem,  from  Annas  to  Cai- 
phas,  from  Caiphas  to  Pilate,  from  Pilate  to  Herod, 
from  one  tribunal  to  another,  so  is  He,  on  this-  day, 
borne  in  triumph  through  the  streets,  as  the  spotless 
Lamb  of  God  and  man's  Highest  Good. 

As  His  sufferings  had  no  other  witnesses  than  envi- 
ous and  mocking  Jews,  so  now,  on  this  day,  every  knee 
bends  in  adoration  before  Him.  As  the  executioners 
once  led  Him  forth  to  death,  so,  in  this  procession,  the 
great  ones  of  the  world  mingle  with  the  throng  to  do 
TTim  reverence.     As  then  His  ears  resounded  with  the 


JESUS  CHRIST  IN  THE  BLESSED  SACR ANIENT.      41 

most  scornful  and  outrageous  blasphemies,  so  now,  on 
this  great  festival,  the  Church  greets  Him  with  every 
kind  of  musical  instrument  and  song  of  praise.  The 
crown  of  thorns  which  once  pierced  His  brow,  is  now 
exchanged  for  the  wreath  of  flowers  around  the  remon- 
strance; while  civil  magistrates,  with  their  insignia,  and 
troops  of  heroes,  with  glittering  arms  and  waving  ban- 
ners, replace  the  fierce  Roman  soldiers  who  once  kept 
watch  around  His  dark  and  silent  tomb.  The  Cross, 
which  Jesus  bore  with  sorrow  and  sweat,  up  the  rugged 
hill  of  Calvary,  is,  on  this  His  day  of  triumph,  carried 
before  all  as  the  sign  of  victory.  Jesus  "Himself,  Who 
was  lifted  up  upon  it,  is  now,  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
raised  aloft  to  impart  His  Benediction  to  His  kneeling 
and  adoring  people. 

If  such  be  the  spirit  of  the  Church,  what  should  be 
the  practice  of  her  children?  Are  wTe  Catholics?  Where 
then  is  our  faith  ? 

It  is  Jesus  our  Saviour  Who  remains  enclosed  in  the 
tabernacle,  and  Who  is  lifted  on  high  in  the  remon- 
strance. It  is  the  true  Eternal  God  Whom  we  receive 
in  Communion.  We  must  show  by  our  works  that  we 
believe  this.  I  do  not  say  that  we  are  bound,  as  the 
early  Christians,  to  prostrate  ourselves  to  the  earth  and 
press  our  foreheads  in  the  dust.  I  do  not  say  that  we 
are  bound  to  imitate  St.  Vincent  of  Paul  and  bend  the 
knee  when  it  costs  us  the  most  excruciating  pain  to  do 
so.  Nevertheless,  we  are  bound,  at  least,  to  avoid  of- 
fending our  Divine  Lord,  and  dishonoring  Him  to  His 

face.    We  are  bound,  when  about  to  receive  Holy  Com- 

4* 


42  .      ON  THE  REVERENCE  DUE  TO 

munion,  carefully  to  prepare  ourselves  by  a  good  con- 
fession, and  thus  avoid  the  dreadful  peril  of  receiving 
Him  in  a  state  of  mortal  sin.  We  are  bound  to  lay 
aside  all  unbecoming  attire  and  scandalous  behavior, 
especially  in  the  house  of  God,  and  to  be  modest,  rev- 
erent, and  humble  in  attitude  and  deportment.  We 
ought  to  regard  all  our  members  as,  in  some  way,  con- 
secrated by  Jesus  Christ  Whom  we  so  often  receive,  or, 
at  least,  Whom  we  visit  in  the  Church.  It  is  not  fit- 
ting that  the  feet,  which  have  borne  us  to  the  altar  of 
God,  should  carry  us  into  evil  company ;  that  those 
eyes  which,  in  the  morning  at  Mass,  have  looked  upon 
the  Immaculate  Victim,  should,  through  the  day,  look 
at  that  which  is  unclean ;  that  the  tongue,  which  has 
been  the  throne  of  God,  should  utter  blasphemous,  im- 
pure, or  calumnious  words  •  that  the  heart,  which  has 
been  united  to  the  Infinite  Purity  and  Beauty,  should 
be  polluted  by  the  stain  of  sin.  But,  alas !  how  often 
are  such  indecencies  perpetrated  ! 

When  one  thinks  of  the  offences  which  Jesus  Christ 
receives  in  this  Sacrament,  of  the  sacrilegious  commun- 
ions which  those  make  who  receive  in  mortal  sin,  or  in 
the  proximate  occasion  of  sin,  of  the  neglect  of  so  many 
to  receive  Holy  Communion  for  a  long  time,  and  the 
insufficient  preparation  they  do  make  when  they  le- 
ceive,  all  this  is  enough  to  make  the  true  Christian 
shudder  with  horror.  Yes,  we  are  inclined  to  believe 
as  of  old,  God  repented  that  He  had  made  man,  because 
his  heart  was  bent  on  wickedness,  so  now  our  Lord 
must  surely  repent  of  having  instituted  this  Sacramrni, 


JESUS  CHRIST  IN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.      43 

and  must  even  wish  to  take  away  from  His  Priests  the 
power  which  He  gave  them  of  consecrating  His  Body 
and  Blood. 

But  no,  such  a  thought  does  an  injustice  to  His  love. 
Jesus  Christ  will  never  withdraw  the  power  which  He 
confided  to  His  Church  of  changing  bread  and  wine 
into  His  Most  Adorable  Body  and  Blood.  He  will 
continue  to  suffer  patiently  and  silently  till  the  end  of 
time,  for  the  sake  of  those  faithful  souls  who  give  Him 
pleasure  by  the  devotion  and  love  with  which  they  re- 
ceive or  visit  Him.  Let  us  seek  to  be  of  that  number. 
"'Accedamus  cum  vero  corde  in plenitudine fidei."  "Let 
us  approach  Him  with  an  upright  heart  and  a  lively 
faith." 

One  day  He  will  throw  off  His  disguise  and  appear 
in  His  Heavenly  Might  and  Splendor.  O  how  happy 
will  they  be  then  who  have  kept  Him  company  in  His 
humiliation !  They  will  not  be  confounded,  but  will 
"  stand  before  Him  with  great  constancy."  They  will 
"see  His  face"  and  rejoice  forevermore. 


CHAPTER  III. 

ON  THE  LOVE  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  IN  THE 
BLESSED  SACRAMENT 

NE  clay  two  men,  who  were  disputing  about 
the  possession  of  a  piece  of  land,  came  to  the 
Emperor  Otho  that  he  might  decide  on  the 
affair  in  question ;  each  of  them  said  :  "  The 
land  belongs  to  me."  And  what  do  you  think  the 
Emperor  did,  when  he  found  himself  unable  to  settle 
the  dispute?  He  gave  to  the  one,  out  of  his  own 
purse,  as  much  money  as  the  piece  of  land  was  worth, 
and  to  the  other  the  land  itself,  and  thus  satisfied  both. 
A  similar,  but  far  more  wonderful  act  of  liberality 
took  place  at  Jerusalem  eighteen  centuries  ago.  This 
happened  in  the  following  manner :  Our  Divine  Re- 
deemer having  lived  on  this  earth  more  than  thirty 
years,  and  the  time  having  come  for  Him  to  leave  it, 
there  arose,  as  it  were,  a  dispute  between  heaven  and 
earth.  The  Angels  wished  to  have  their  Lord  and 
their  God  with  them  in  heaven  again,  after  He  had 
been  for  so  long  a  time  with  men  on  earth.  Men,  on 
the  other  hand,  especially  the  Apostles,  desired  to  de- 
tain their  Divine  Master,  Jesus  Christ,  with  them  on 

44 


ON  THE  LO  VE  OF  CHRIST  IN  THE  SACRAMENT.      4f 

earth.  They  felt  very  sad  when  He  told  them  that  the 
time  had  come  for  Him  to  leave  them.  Now,  how  did 
our  sweet  Lord  act  in  order  to  settle  this  dispute  ?  He 
found  out  a  means  to  satisfy  both  men  and  Angels. 
He  satisfied  the  Angels  by  ascending  to  heaven;  He 
satisfied  men  by  remaining  invisibly  with  them  in  the 
Blessed  Sacrament,  and  by  giving  power  to  the  Apos- 
tles, and  their  lawful  successors,  to  change  bread  into 
His  Body  and  wine  into  His  Blood. 

What  could  have  induced  our  dear  Lord,  Christian 
soul,  to  stay  with  us  on  earth  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament? 
Was  it  to  gain  honor?  Alas!  our  good  Lord  receives 
the  same  treatment  in  the  Blessed  Eucharist  which  He 
received  during  the  thirty-three  years  that  He  lived 
upon  earth.  When  upon  earth  He  was  made  light  of, 
and  it  was  said  of  Him  :  "Is  He  not  the  son  of  a  car- 
penter?" "Why  do  you  listen  to  Him?"  said  the 
Pharisees.  "  Do  you  not  see  that  He  has  a  devil,  that 
He  is  possessed,  that  Pie  is  a  wine-drinker  and  a  friend 
of  sinners  ?  "  They  bound  Him,  scourged  Him,  crowned 
Him  with  thorns,  and  at  last,  making  Him  carry  His 
own  cross,  they  crucified  Him.  Such  was  the  honor 
which  Jesus  Christ  received  when  living  among  men ! 
And  has  he  not  been  treated  in  the  same  manner,  in  His 
Sacrament,  from  that  time  to  the  present  day?  Instead 
of  being  honored  by  all  men,  as  He  deserves,  He  is  dis- 
honored and  insulted.  Some  do  not  think  of  Him  for 
weeks  together;  others  walk  carelessly  into  the  church, 
almost  like  men  without  faith,  and  make  their  g«&i£» 
flexion  before  Him  as  if  they  wished  to  mock  Him; 


4<5  OK  THE  LOVE  OF  JESUS  CHRIST 

others  behave  in  church  as  if  they  were  in  their  own 
houses.  In  many  churches  there  is  not  even  a  lamp  kept 
burning;  and  how  often  has  it  happened  that  the  con- 
secrated hosts  have  been  trodden  under  foot,  or  thrown 
into  the  fire  by  heretics,  Jews,  and  other  bad  men  ? 

Such  has  been  the  treatment  He  has  met  with — con- 
tempt, mockery  and  insult,  or  coldness  and  indifference 
towards  His  Divine  Majesty!  Certainly,  the  expecta- 
tion of  being  honored  could  not  have  induced  Him  to 
remain  with  us !  What  then  induced  Him  to  stay 
with  us  in  the  Holy  Eucharist?  Was  it  to  seek  or 
to  increase  His  own  happiness?  By  no  means.  His 
happiness  is  so  great  that  it  cannot  be  increased.  He 
has  risen  from  the  dead ;  He  is  glorified ;  He  sits  at  the 
right  hand  of  God  the  Father,  and  has  all  power  in 
heaven  and  on  earth.  The  Angels  serve  Him;  men  are 
His  subjects,  whom  He  will  judge  and  reward  according 
to  their  deserts;  the  devils  tremble  at  His  presence; 
every  knee  must  bend  before  Him,  of  those  that  are  in 
Heaven,  on  earth  and  under  the  earth,  in  purgatory  and 
in  hell.  What,  then,  is  wanting  to  His  happiness  ? 
.Nothing.  Since,  therefore,  our  Lord  cannot  become 
happier  by  remaining  with  us,  and  since  He  does  not 
receive  due  honor  among  us,  what,  I  ask  once  more, 
could  have  induced  Him  to  abide  heie  so  long,  to  re- 
main on  earth  for  eighteen  hundred  years,  yea  even  until 
the  end  of  the  world,  to  be  present  in  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment in  every  place,  in  every  parish  church  in  America, 
Europe,  Africa,  Asia,  Australia,  in  the  isles  of  the  sea, 
aT>d  even  sometimes  in  the  midst  of  the  ocean  itself? 


IN  THd  blessed  sacrament.  47 

\h!  Christian  soul,  there  was  no  other  motive  than 
love,  the  great,  the  excessive  love  of  Jesus  Christ  towards 
men! 

Yes,  it  was  love,  love  alone,  nothing  but  love,  which 
induced  Jesus,  our  Redeemer,  to  remain  among  us  iu 
the*  Blessed  Sacrament.  O  Jesus,  O  most  sweet  Jesus, 
hidden  under  the  sacramental  species,  give  me  now  such 
love  and  humility,  that  I  may  be  able  lovingly  to  speak 
of  this  invention  of  boundless  love,  that  all  who  hear 
of  it  may  begin  to  love  Thee  in  reality. 

O  Mary,  Mother  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  our  dear  Mother; 
O  all  ye  holy  Angels,  who,  by  your  adoration  in  our 
churches,  make  up  for  the  little  love  which  your  God 
and  our  Saviour  receives  from  men,  obtain  for  us  the 
grace  to  comprehend  a  little  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ  in 
the  most  Holy  Sacrament. 

In  order  to  conceive,  in  some  measure,  the  love  of 
Jesus  Christ  in  this  wonderful  Sacrament,  let  us  consider 
first,  the  time  at  which  He  gave  Himself  to  us  as  our 
food  and  drink.  Jesus  might  have  instituted  this  Sacra- 
ment when,  in  the  twelfth  year  of  His  age,  He  travelled 
to  Jerusalem,  or  at  the  wedding  in  Cana,  or  when  He 
was  thirty  years  old  and  began  to  teach  publicly,  or  Ho 
might  have  instituted  it  after  His  Resurrection.  But 
He  chose,  for  the  time  of  its  institution,  the  last  moment 
of  His  earthly  career.  Why  did  He  wait  so  long? 
Why  did  He  not  institute  it  sooner  or  later?  why  not 
after  His  resurrection  ?  Why  just  at  the  moment  when 
He  was  about  to  take  leave  of  the  Apostles  and  quit  the 
earth  ?     He  instituted  this  Sacrament  at  the  last  fromeirt 


48  ON  THE  LOVE   JF  JESUS  CHRIST 

of  His  life,  in  order  that  men  might  the  better  see  the  ex- 
cess of  His  love.  Do  you  ask  how  this  is?  To  make  it 
clearer,  imagine  a  father  who  has  in  store  costly  presents 
of  gold  and  jewels  which  he  intends  to  give  to  his  chil- 
dren, in  order  to  show  them  how  much  he  loves  them. 
What  time  do  you  think,  this  father  will  choose  for  be- 
stowing these  gifts,  as  being  best  calculated  to  make  a 
deep  impression  on  them?  He  will  wait  until  he  is  on 
his  death-bed,  and  then  he  will  give  them,  that  they 
may  be  the  last  memorials  of  his  love. 

Behold,  our  Divine  Saviour  thought  and  acted  in  the 
very  same  manner.  He  thought,  I  have  already  given 
men  so  many  proofs  of  My  love  towards  them ;  I  have 
created  them ;  I  preserve  their  lives ;  I  have  become  man, 
— for  their  sake  I  became  a  child;  I  have  lived  among 
them  for  more  than  thirty  years ;  I  am  yet  to  suffer  and 
die  for  them  on  the  cross  and  to  re-open  heaven  for  them; 
what  can  I  do  more  for  them  ?  Ah !  I  can  make  them  one 
more  present ;  I  will  give  them  a  most  precious  gift ;  I 
will  give  them  all  that  I  have,  so  that  they  may  not  be  able 
to  charge  Me  with  having  done  less  for  them  than  I  might 
have  done.  I  will  give  them  Myself  as  a  legacy;  I  will 
give  them  My  Divinity  and  My  Humanity,  My  Body 
and  My  Soul,  Myself,  entirely  and  without  reserve.  I 
will  make  them  this  present  at  the  last  moment  of  My 
life,  at  a  time  when  men  are  accustomed  to  bequeatl 
to  those  whom  they  love  that  which  they  value  th* 
most.  At  the  very  moment  when  they  are  seeking  h 
betray  Me;  at  the  very  moment  when  the  Pharisees  an« 
Jews  f.re  planning  to  remove  me  out  of  the  world,  I 


IN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.  49 

will  give  Myself  to  men  on  earth  to  be  their  food  and 
drink ;  to  abide  with  them  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  in 
a  wonderful  manner ;  to  be  always  in  their  midst,  by 
dwelling  in  their  churches.  Instead  of  withdrawing 
My  love  from  them  on  account  of  their  ingratitude,  I 
will  manifest  it  to  them  the  more. 

Wonderful  manner !  who  could  ever  have  imagined 
that  God  would  go  so  far  in  his  love  for  ungrateful  men 
as  to  give  them  His  own  Flesh  and  Blood  as  the  food 
of  their  souls  !  AVhat  man  or  Angel  would  ever  have 
conceived  such  a  thing !  And  supposing  it  had  oc- 
curred to  some  man  or  Angel,  to  wish  that  God  might  do 
so,  who  would  have  dared  to  express  such  a  wish,  or  to 
ask  such  a  thing  of  God  ?  Would  not  the  thought  have 
been  immediately  banished  from  the  mind  as  sacrile- 
gious ?  Now,  what  the  angels  could  never  have  con- 
ceived, nor  men  dared  to  ask,  the  immense  love  of  God 
has  given  us  unasked. 

Hence  our  Lord  was  right  indeed  to  say  to  His  Dis- 
ciples when  they  became  sad  on  account  of  His  having 
told  them  of  His  approaching  departure  from  them : 
"  Let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled ;  I  will  not  leave  you 
orphans."  A  good  mother  on  her  death-bed  says  to  her 
weeping  children:  "Dear  children,  I  must  now  die,  and 
leave  you.  I  recommend  you  to  God,  and  to  the  pro- 
tection of  your  Blessed  Mother,  Mary.  Avoid  sin,  and 
act  always  as  good  children,  that  I  may  be  so  happy  as 
to  see  you  again  in  the  other  world."  But  Jesus  does 
not  speak  thus  to  His  Apostles.  He  says  :  "  You  need 
not  be  sad,  because  I  am  about  to  leave  the  world.  I 
6  D 


50  ON  THE  LOVE  OF  JESUS  CHRIST 

will  remain  always  with  you  in  My  most  Holy  Sacra- 
ment. I  will  give  you  a  power  than  which  there  is  no 
greater  in  heaven  or  on  earth,  that  of  changing  bread 
into  My  Body,  and  wine  into  My  Blood.  In  virtue  of 
this  power  you  can  always  have  Me  with  you.  You 
need  only  pronounce  the  words  of  consecration  over  the 
oread  and.  wine,  and  in  that  very  moment  I  will  be  with 
you,  and  you  will  hold  Me  in  your  hands.  O  Love ! 
O  Love  of  God  towards  us !  O  Jesus,  Thou  lovest  us 
too  much  !  Thou  couldst  not  endure  that  we  should  be 
left  alone  in  this  world ;  and  that  even  death  might  not 
be  able  to  separate  Thee  from  us,  Thou  didst  leave  Thy- 
self to  us  as  our  food  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament. 

Secondly,  in  order  that  we  may  see  the  love  of  Jesus 
in  the  Holy  Eucharist  still  more  clearly,  let  us  consider, 
with  a  lively  faith,  Whom  we  have  in  our  midst.  Dear 
Christian,  consider,  if  Jesus  Christ  had  left  a  saint  or 
an  Angel  with  us  in  His  stead  after  His  death,  or  if  He 
had  given  us  His  own  Mother  to  remain  with  us  and 
keep  us  company,  would  it  not  have  been  a  very  great 
proof  of  His  love  towards  us  ?  But  He  has  left  neither 
saint  nor  Angel ;  not  even  His  own  Mother,  for  it  was 
too  little  for  His  love.  He  Himself  would  be  ever 
with  us.  Yes,  indeed,  the  good  God,  the  holy  and 
merciful  God  is  among  us  — the  Almighty  God  Who 
created  us  and  the  whole  world  out  of  nothing,  and 
Who  still  continues  to  preserve  us.  That  same  God  is 
in  our  tabernacles  Who  saved  Noah  from  the  deluge; 
Who  gave  manna  from  heaven  to  the  Jews ;  Who,  amid 
lightning  and  thunder,  gave  the  ten  commandments  to 


IN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.  51 

Moses  on  Mount  Sinai;  Who,  at  Babylon,  delivered 
the  three  youths  from  the  flames  of  the  burning  fur- 
nace; Who  saved  the  life  of  Daniel  in  the  den  of  lions. 
That  same  Jesus  is  with  us  in  our  churches  Who,  at  His 
birth,  was  laid  on  straw  and  adored  by  the  Magi ;  Who 
fled  into  Egypt;  Who  was  sought  for  by  the  Blessed 
Virgin  and  found  in  the  temple ;  Who  changed  water 
into  wine ;  Who  restored  sight  to  the  blind ;  made  the 
deaf  to  hear,  and  the  dumb  to  speak.  Beloved  Chris- 
tian, you  esteem  Simeon  happy  in  having  been  per- 
mitted to  take  the  Infant  Jesus  in  his  arms ;  and  were 
you  to  receive  a  grace  like  him,  no  doubt  you  would 
exclaim :  "  Now  dost  Thou  dismiss  Thy  servant,  O 
Lord,  according  to  Thy  word,  in  peace:  because  my 
eyes  have  seen  Thy  salvation." 

You  consider  Zacheus  happy  because  our  Lord  vouch- 
safed to  enter  his  house  and  eat  with  him ;  you  deem 
St.  John  happy  because  he  rested  on  the  breast  of  our 
Saviour  at  the  Last  Supper ;  and,  above  all,  you  regard 
the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary  and  St.  Joseph  so  very  happy, 
because  they  nourished  and  supported  our  dear  Lord. 
But  are  you  not  as  happy  as  they  ?  Are  you  not  even 
happier  ?  You  do  not  hold  our  Lord  in  your  arms  as 
Simeon  did,  but  you  receive  Him  into  your  heart  in 
Holy  Communion ;  you  do  not  rest  on  the  bosom  of 
our  Lord  like  St.  John,  but  the  Saviour  Himself  rests 
in  your  heart  after  Holy  Communion;  you  do  not 
nurse  and  support  our  Lord  like  the  Blessed  Virgin 
and  St.  Joseph,  but  you  have  a  still  greater  happiness, 
for  the  Saviour  Himself  nourishes  you  and  gives  Him- 


52  ON  THE  LOVE  OF  JESUS  CHRIST 

self  to  you  as  your  food.     O  Love !  O  Love !     O  who 
can  understand  the  love  of  God  for  men ! 

What  would  you  say  if  a  shepherd  suffered  himself 
to  be  slain  in  order  to  save  his  sheep  ?  What  would 
you  say  if,  in  those  times  of  horrible  famine  which  his- 
tory here  and  there  records,  when  the  cravings  of  hun- 
ger silenced  the  voice  of  nature,  and  men  fed  on  each 
other's  flesh,  a  king  had  loved  a  beggar  so  much,  or  a 
lord  his  servant,  as  to  give  himself  as  food  in  order  to 
save  the  poor  sufferer  from  starvation  ?  Do  you  think 
that  any  shepherd,  or  king,  or  lord  could  really  be  found 
who  would  act  thus  ?  Certainly  not.  Again,  a  mother's 
love  is  proverbial,  and  mothers  are  often  found  who 
love  their  offspring  so  much  that  they  will  deprive 
themselves  of  a  morsel  of  their  scanty  bread  to  giv<5  it 
to  their  hungry  children  —  and  yet  it  has  sometimes 
happened  that  even  mothers  have  devoured  their  own 
infants  in  time  of  famine. 

Now,  while  no  shepherd  loves  his  sheep  so  mu\;h  as 
to  give  his  own  life  for  them ;  while  no  king  ever  loved 
a  beggar  so  much  as  to  suffer,  for  his  cake,  the  loss  of 
life  or  limb  j  while  even  a  mother  ran  grow  cruel  to- 
wards the  fruit  of  her  womb,  Jesus/  our  God  and  our 
King,  has  loved  us  so  much  as  to  ^ive  Himself  to  us 
whole  and  entire.  His  Flesh  and  Blood,  His  Human- 
ity and  Divinity  really  and  substantially. 

"I  am  the  good  Shepherd,"  says  Jesus;  "a  good 
shepherd  gives  his  life  for  his  sherp."  He  seems  to 
say  to  us :  "I  give  my  life  for  you,  each  day,  at  each 
Holy  Mass,  at  each  Holy  Commurion.     I  am  the  God 


IN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.  53 

of  Supreme  Wisdom ;  but  I  cannot  find  a  more  ade- 
quate pledge  of  My  love.  I  am  Almighty,  but  My 
Omnipotence  is  not  able  to  do  anything  greater ;  I  am 
love  itself,  but  I  cannot  give  you  anything  more  con- 
soling!"  It  is  so,  sweet  Lord,  I  acknowledge  Thy  infi- 
nite love,  and  full  of  amazement  at  Thy  immense  char- 
ity, I  find  no  better  words  to  express  my  wonder  than 
those  of  Thy  saints :  "  Lord,  Thou  hast  become  foolish 
from  love  towards  us."  l  "  He  has  given  heaven  ;  He 
has  given  earth ;  He  has  given  His  Kingdom ;  He  has 
given  Himself — what  more  has  He  to  give?  O  my 
God !  (allow  me  to  say  it)  how  prodigal  art  Thou  of 
Thyself!"2 

Thirdly,  an  especial  mark  of  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ 
in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  towards  us,  is  the  manner  in 
which  he  gives  Himself  to  us.  He  is  with  us,  but 
under  strange  forms.  Now,  some  one  may  say :  "  Would 
not  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ  have  seemed  greater  if  He 
had  remained  with  us  visibly,  so  that  we  might  have 
seen  Him  and  conversed  with  Him  as  one  friend  does 
with  another?"  jSTo,  dear  Christian,  it  would  not  have 
seemed  so  great.  Just  because  he  conceals  Himself 
from  our  eyes,  He  gives  a  new  proof  of  His  love,  and 
shows  that  he  thinks  of  us  all,  of  sinners  as  well  as  of 
the  just.  "  How  so?"  you  ask.  I  will  tell  you  how. 
First,  then,  with  regard  to  sinners,  Jesus  renders  them 
a  great  favor  by  concealing  Himself.  You  know  that 
the  best  remedy  for  weak  eyes  is  to  exclude  the  light. 
We  cannot  look  at  a  very  bright  object  without  our 

1  -5t.  Mary  Magdalene  de  Pazzis.  5  St.  Augustine. 

6* 


54  ON  THE  LOVE  OF  JESUS  CUEIST 

eyes  being  dazzled.  None  of  us  could  look  steadily  a\ 
the  sun  at  noon ;  if  we  should  do  so,  we  would  become 
blind.  We  read  in  Holy  Scripture  that  Moses  once 
conversed  with  God  on  a  mountain,  and  that  afterwards, 
when  he  came  down  to  the  Jews,  his  countenance  was 
so  radiant  with  light  that  they  were  unable  to  look 
upon  him,  and  he  was  obliged  to  put  a  veil  over  his 
face  when  he  spoke  to  them.  Suppose  now,  beloved 
Christian,  that  Jesus  Christ  were  to  manifest  Himself 
on  our  altars  in  His  heavenly  splendor  and  glory,  and 
one  yet  at  enmity  with  God,  should  come  into  the 
church,  how  would  he  feel  ?  Would  he  not  be  over- 
whelmed with  awe  and  terror  ?  Yea,  a  mortal  agon} 
would  seize  the  poor  wretch  at  the  sight  of  Jesus  Christ. 
When  Adam  and  Eve  had  sinned,  they  heard  the  voice 
of  the  Lord  who  was  walking  about  in  Paradise,  and 
they  hid  themselves  from  the  Lord  in  the  midst  of  the 
garden.  The  mere  sight  of  an  offended  God  was  in- 
supportable to  them.  Cain,  too,  acted  in  the  same  man- 
ner after  having  killed  his  brother.  "And  Cain  fled 
from  the  face  of  the  Lord."  Oh !  it  is  terrible  for 
man  to  appear  before  God  with  a  conscience  laden 
with  sin ! 

If,  in  our  day,  Jesus  Christ  were  to  show  Himself 
openly,  sinners  would  flee  from  the  church  in  order  to 
avoid  the  angry  countenance  of  their  Judge.  If  one 
conscious  of  sin  should  dare  to  remain  and  brave  the 
displeasure  of  his  offended  Lord,  his  heart  would  die 
within  him  before  the  angry  glance  of  those  eyes  which 
are  "as  a  flame  of  fire."     One  single  indignant  look 


IX   THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.  55 

that  Philip  II.,  king  of  Spain,  cast  upon  two  of  his 
courtiers,  who  behaved  irreverently  in  church,  was 
enough  to  drive  one  of  them  out  of  his  senses  and  to 
kill  the  other.  How,  then,  could  a  sinner  endure  the 
eye  of  Jesus  Christ?  We  may  judge,  in  some  measure, 
from  what  took  place  wThen  the  Bethsamites  looked 
upon  the  ark  of  the  covenant  with  irreverent  curiosity. 
More  than  fifty  thousand  were  punished  with  death  for 
having  gazed  at  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord, 
containing  a  golden  pot  that  had  manna,  and  the  rod 
of  Aaron  that  had  blossomed,  and  the  tables  of  the  cov- 
enant.1 "  And  the  men  of  Bethsames  said :  *  Who  can 
stand  before  the  face  of  the  Lord,  of  that  Holy  God  ?  • '' 
Who,  then,  does  not  see  that  it  is  a  great  grace  and 
oenefit,  for  us  and  all  sinners,  that  Jesus  Christ  should 
veil  Himself  from  our  view  under  the  appearances  of 
bread  and  wine  ?  Oh  !  how  considerate  and  amiable  is 
the  heart  of  Jesus  Christ !  He  does  not  wish  openly 
to  meet  with  one  who  is  His  sworn  enemy,  and  who, 
on  that  account,  deserves  nothing  else  but  His  wrath 
and  vengeance.  He  works  one  of  His  greatest  miracles, 
and  draws  near  to  him  without  being  seen.  He  keeps 
Himself  hidden  under  the  poor  veil  of  bread  that  the 
sinner  may  not  tremble  and  fear  before  His  majesty  and 
brightness,  but  may  approach  Him  with  confidence  to 
ask  the  pardon  of  his  sins,  and  grace  not  to  relapse  into 
them  again. 

But,  not  only  to  sinners  does  Jesus  Christ  show  spe- 
cial love  by  concealing  Himself  in  the  Blessed  Sacra- 

1  Hebrews  ix.  4. 


56  ON  THE  LOVE  OF  JESUS  CHRIST 

ment,  but  also  to  the  just.  These,  indeed,  would  not, 
like  sinners,  be  conscience-stricken  at  the  sight  of  Jesus 
Christ  in  the  Holy  Eucharist,  but  they  would,  never- 
theless, be  almost  beside  themselves  with  amazement, 
and  instead  of  entertaining  a  confident  and  childlike 
love  and  affection  for  Him,  they  would  feel  an  excessive 
and  oppressive  fear  of  Him.  As  soon  as  the  Queen  of 
Saba  saw  Solomon  sitting  on  his  throne  in  all  his  regal 
splendor,  she  became  breathless  and  almost  fainted  away. 
This  was  natural.  That  which  is  too  splendid  repels 
rather  than  attracts,  and  while  an  ordinary  brightness 
pleases  the  eye,  an  intense,  excessive  brightness  dazzles 
and  blinds  it. 

O,  what  would  happen  if  the  Son  of  God  were  to 
appear  on  the  altar  in  His  Divine  Majesty,  surrounded 
with  heavenly  light  and  glory  ?  What  eye  could  be- 
hold His  brightness?  For,  if  even  the  few  rays  of 
light  which  our  Divine  Saviour  suffered  to  beam  from 
His  face  on  Mount  Thabor,  caused  His  disciples,  inti- 
mate and  familiar  as  they  were  with  Him,  to  fall  to  the 
ground  in  amazement  and  dismay,  who  could  bear  in 
its  full  intensity  the  glory  of  His  countenance  as  it 
appears  to  the  eternal  but  insatiable  gaze  of  the  Elect, 
and  which  forms  the  heaven  of  heaven  itself?  Ah !  in 
the  glorious  presence  of  Christ,  even  the  just  would  be 
awe-stricken,  nay,  they  would  perhaps  die  from  distress 
and  fear.  At  all  events,  they  would  not  dare  approach 
their  Divine  Saviour  with  love  and  affection.  ISTo  one 
would  venture  to  draw  near  to  Him,  in  order  to  con- 
verse witfi  Him,  and  to  explain  to  Him  his  wants.    Th<» 


IN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.  57 

anfathomable  Mystery  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament  would 
no  longer  be  amor  amorum  —  (i.  e.  love  of  all  love,  as 
St.  Bernard  calls  it);  it  could  no  longer  be  called  a 
pledge  of  love  between  God  and  man  ;  but  it  would  be 
a  Sacrament  of  Glory  and  Majesty,  before  which  we 
should  be  obliged  to  bend  the  knee,  not  in  love  and 
confidence,  but  in  fear  and  trembling.  But  no;  our 
Divine  Saviour,  Who  loves  us  so  excessively,  would,  in 
this  Sacrament,  deal  in  all  kindness  with  just  and  pious 
souls,  and  would  treat  with  them,  not  as  a  God  of  Ma- 
jesty with  His  subjects,  but  as  a  good  father  with  his 
beloved  children,  as  a  brother  with  his  brothers,  a  friend 
with  his  confidential  friend,  a  bridegroom  with  his 
bride. 

"  Comedite,  amici,  et  bibite  et  inebriamini,  carissimi" 
says  He  to  us.  (Eat,  my  friends,  and  drink,  and  be 
inebriated,  my  well-beloved !)  "  Venite  ad  me  omnes, 
qui  laboratis  et  onerati  estis,  et  ego  refieiam  vos."  (Come 
to  Me  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy-laden,  and  I  will 
refresh  you.1)  "Venite  omnes/7  come  ye  all,  without 
exception ;  come  ye  poor  and  suffering ;  come  ye  rich 
and  prosperous ;  come  ye  despised ;  come  ye  honored 
ones  of  the  earth ;  come  ye  servants  and  slaves ;  come 
ye  princes  and  masters ;  come  ye  husbands  and  wives ; 
come  ye  parents  and  children ;  come  ye  young  men  and 
young  women  ;  come  ye  great  and  small ;  come  all, 
without  any  exception ;  come  ye  My  beloved  children 
whom  I  have  redeemed ;  expose  to  me  your  wants  and 
your  troubles  !     Ego  refieiam  vos,  I  will  refresh   fou,  I 

1  Matt.  xi.  28. 


58  ON  THE  LOVE  OF  JESUS  CUEIST 

will  console  you.  Venite,  come,  then,  come  without 
fear !     I  am  waiting  for  you  at  all  hours. 

Consider  it  well,  dear  Christian,  in  order  that  we  may 
approach  Him  with  childlike  confidence;  the  most  ami- 
able and  sweet  heart  of  Jesus  Christ  invented  this  won- 
derful Sacrament,  manifesting  His  love  by  concealing 
His  Majesty  and  keeping  Himself  hidden  under  the 
appearance  of  bread,  as  under  a  veil,  which  He  suffers 
no  single  beam  of  His  Divinity  to  pierce,  lest  He  might 
so  awe  us  as  to  prevent  our  confidential  intercourse  with 
Him.  "  It  is  on  account  of  our  weakness,"  says  Hugo 
de  St.  Victor,  "  that  He  does  not  show  Himself  in  the 
brightness  of  His  Majesty.  He  acts  towards  us  as  a 
prince  or  a  king,  who,  having  put  aside  his  garments 
of  state,  appears  in  the  company  of  his  subjects  without 
the  emblems  of  his  rank,  not  expecting  from  them  the 
exact  observance  of  court  etiquette,  or  demonstrations 
of  so  great  respect,  but  intending,  on  the  contrary,  to 
make  merry  and  rejoice  with  them  in  all  confidence  and 
familiarity. 

O  good  Lord !  O  great  God !  how  humbly  dost  Thou 
hide  Thyself  for  our  sake !  But  alas !  how  much  is 
Thy  bounty  and  love  abused !  Not  only  do  sinners 
despise  Thee  in  this  Thy  Sacrament  of  love,  because 
they  see  Thee  not,  but  the  good  also,  the  just,  treat 
Thee  with  indifference  and  coldness.  Thou  hast  been 
so  long  with  them,  and  they  with  Thee,  and  for  want 
of  a  lively  faith,  they  have  not  known  Thee.  So  long 
hast  Thou  been  with  us,  and  there  are  so  few  who  know 
it,  so  few  who  are  penetrated  with  a  sense  of  their  un* 


IN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.  59 

Sjf^akable  happiness.  I  hear  Thee  complain  of  us,  O 
dear  Jesus,  as  Thou  didst  one  day  complain  to  the 
Blessed  Margaret  Alacoque,  when  showing  to  her  Thy 
heart  crowned  with  thorns :  "  Behold  this  heart  of 
Mine,  so  full  of  love  for  men,  that  it  has  shed  its  last 
drop  of  blood  for  them,  and  has  given  them  My  own 
flesh  and  blood  as  food  and  drink  for  their  souls ;  and 
consider  how  this  heart  receives  from  most  men,  in  re- 
turn for  so  great  a  love,  nothing  but  ingratitude  and 
contempt !  But  what  grieves  Me  most  is,  that  I  am 
thus  treated  even  by  good  and  just  souls." 

Do  you  not  understand,  dear  Christian,  the  just  com- 
plaint of  your  Divine  Saviour?  Is  your  heart  not 
touched  by  it?  " Behold,"  says  He,  "behold  this 
heart  which  loves  men  so  excessively;  this  heart  which 
is  always  pouring  out  graces  upon  them ;  this  heart,  so 
full  of  pity  to  receive  sinners,  to  help  the  poor  and  in- 
digent; to  cure  the  sick;  to  console  the  afflicted;  to 
hear  the  prayers  of  all  men,  at  what  time  soever  they 
come  to  ask ;  this  heart  which  is  almost  beside  itself 
with  love  —  this  heart  is  not  known,  it  is  despised:  and, 
what  is  the  most  piercing  grief,  even  by  those  souls  into 
which  I  have  so  often  entered  in  Holy  Communion." 

Ah  !  dear  Christian,  have  you  a  heart  ?  Well,  if  it 
be  not  of  stone  or  iron,  let  it  be  touched  by  this  touch- 
ing complaint  of  the  heart  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed 
Sacrament.  Give  to  your  God  and  Saviour  what  is  due 
to  Him.  Repay  Him  for  the  benefit  of  your  creation ; 
repay  Him  for  the  benefit  of  your  redemption ;  for  the 
benefit  of  the  preservation  of  your  life:  for  the  pains  of 


60      ON  THE  LOVE  OF  CHRIST  IN  THE  SACRAMEJST. 

His  scourging;  for  the  agony  of. His  crucifixion;  but, 
above  all,  repay  Him,  yes,  in  some  measure,  repay  Him 
for  the  excessive  love  and  affection  which  He  bears  you 
in  the  Blessed  Sacrament. 

"  But  how,"  you  will  ask ;  "  how  shall  I  pay  my 
Jesus  for  His  love  to  me  ?  What  can  I  give  Him  in 
return?"  Nothing  but  love.  Love  demands  love  and 
is  contented  only  with  love.  But  it  must  be  true  love, 
that  is,  such  love  as  animates  you  to  keep  His  com- 
mandments, and  to  avoid  sin ;  such  love  as  impels  you 
to  receive  Him  often  in  Holy  Communion,  and  still 
oftener  to  visit  Him  in  the  Church.  Ask  of  Him, 
then,  so  to  detach  your  heart  from  all  creatures,  that 
you  may  live  only  for  Him  Who  came  down  from 
heaven  to  live  and  die  for  you.  So  doing,  you  may 
expect,  with  all  confidence,  that,  in  your  last  hour,  your 
dear  and  amiable  Saviour,  Whom  having  not  seen  you 
have  loved,  will  come  to  meet  you,  calling  you  to  Him 
by  these  sweet  and  consoling  words :  "  Come  thou  good 
and  faithful  servant,  come;  because  thou  hast  been 
faithful  in  little  things,  I  will  place  thee  over  many." 
"  Come  and  see  what  thine  eye  has  never  seen ;  come 
and  hear  what  thine  ear  has  never  heard;  come  and 
enjoy  what  on  earth  thy  heart  has  never  conceived ; 
come,  enter  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord  forever  and  ever." 


CHAPTER    IV. 


ON  VISITING  JESUS  CHRIST  IN  THE  BLESSED 
SACRAMENT 

HERE  is  the  new-born  King  of  the  Jews?" 
inquired  the  three  Magi  of  Herod,  king  of 
Jerusalem.  "Where  is  He?"  they  repeat  in 
their  great  desire  to  find  Him.  "  We  have  seen 
His  star  in  the  East,  and  we  have  come  to  adore  Him. 
iVh !  tell  us  where  He  is ;  we  desire  so  much  to  see  Him ; 
we  have  made  so  long  a  journey  in  order  to  become  ac- 
quainted with  Him."  What  a  joy  must  it  not  have 
been  for  these  three  holy  kings  to  learn  that  the  Saviour 
of  the  world  was  born  in  Bethlehem ;  with  what  speed 
must  they  not  have  gone  thither  to  find  out  their  true 
King,  Who  had  caused  the  wonderful  star  to  appear 
which  led  them  to  His  abode ! 

Beloved  Christians,  you  have  heard  and  read  this  in- 
cident among  the  many  wonderful  events  in  the  life  of 
our  God  and  Saviour.  On  hearing,  or  reading  the  ac- 
count, you  have,  perhaps,  even  earnestly  desired  to  have 
lived  at  the  time  of  the  Apostles,  in  order  that  you 
might  have  had  the  happiness  of  seeing  your  Lord  and 
Saviour.  But  you  ought  to  know  that  you  are  happier 
now  than  if  you  liad  lived  at  the  time  of  the  Apostles, 

6         m  CI 


62  ON  VISITING  JESUS  CHRIST 

for  you  might  have  been  obliged  to  travel  very  far,  and 
make  many  inquiries  to  find  out  the  place  of  His  abode. 
But  now  there  is  no  need  of  travelling  far  or  of  making 
many  inquiries  to  find  Him.  He  is,  as  we  know  by  faith, 
in  our  churches,  not  far  from  our  homes.  The  Magi  could 
find  Him  in  one  place  only ;  we  can  find  Him  in  every 
part  of  the  world,  wherever  the  Blessed  Sacrament  is 
kept.  Are  we,  then,  not  happier  than  those  who  lived 
at  the  time  of  our  Saviour  Himself?  Yes,  we  are  hap- 
pier than  they  —  no  faithful  soul  can  doubt  it. 

But  can  we  say  also  that  we  know  how  to  avail  our 
selves  of  this  happiness  ?  Alas !  how  many  are  ther^ 
perhaps  who  must  confess  that,  up  to  this  day,  they  have 
never  visited  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  re- 
sembling Jutta,  the  niece  of  the  Empress,  St.  Cunegunda, 
of  whom  it  is  related  that  she  stayed  at  home,  without 
any  plausible  reason,  whilst  the  Blessed  Sacrament  was 
exposed  in  the  church.  St.  Cunegunda,  inflamed  with 
holy  indignation  at  this  indifference,  gave  her  niece  a 
severe  slap  in  the  face.  The  Lord,  in  punishment  of 
Jutta's  indifference  toward  Him,  allowed  the  print  of 
Cunegunda's  fingers  to  remain  indelibly  stamped  on 
her  face.  This  was  a  life-long  monitor  for  her.  Such 
a  monitor,  however,  is  not  given  to  every  one  to  remind 
him  of  his  duty  towards  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed 
Sacrament;  I  will,  therefore,  set  forth  some  reasons 
which  ought  to  induce  every  faithful  soul  to  show,  for 
the  future,  more  fervor,  gratitude  and  love  for  her 
Divine  Saviour,  by  often  visiting  Him  in  this  mystery 
of  love,  and  by  asking  of  Him  graces,  1,  >t  only  for  her- 
self, but  especially  for  all  those  who  are  cold  and  indif- 


IN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.  63 

ferent  towards  the  excessive  love  and  patience  of  their 
God  hidden  under  the  Sacramental  species. 

If  there  be  one  consideration  which,  more  than  all 
others,  ought  to  induce  you  often  to  visit  Jesus  Christ 
in  the  church,  it  is  the  thought  of  the  excessive  love 
which  He  bears  to  us  in  this, adorable  mystery  of  His 
love.  "It  is  my  delight  to  be  with  the  children  of 
men." 1  O,  what  great  condescension  it  would  be  for  a 
king  to  invite  a  poor  man  to  come  to  his  palace  and  to 
keep  company  with  him!  But  Jesus  Christ,  the  king 
of  heaven  and  earth,  says  :  "  Come  all  ye  that  labor  and 
are  burdened,  and  I  will  refresh  you."2  Ought  we  not 
to  look  upon  it  as  a  great  grace  and  favor  to  be  invited 
into  His  presence?  Surely,  we  ought  to  find  our  delight 
in  His  company,  since  He  is  delighted  to  be  in  ours. 
We  ought  to  go  to  Him  frequently  and  say  to  Him : 
u  My  Jesus,  why  dost  Thou  love  me  so  much  ?  What 
good  dost  Thou  see  in  me  that  thou  art  so  enamored  of 
me  ?  Hast  Thou  already  forgotten  the  sins  by  which  I 
have  offended  Thee  so  grievously  ?  O,  how  can  I  love 
anything  else  than  Thee,  my  Jesus  and  my  All  ?  No 
one  has  ever  done  so  much  to  make  me  happy  as  Thou 
hast  done,  O  amiable,  O  most  amiable  Jesus !  Never 
let  me  love  anything  but  Thee."  If  you  had  a  friend 
who  always  wished  you  well,  and  who  had  promised  to 
help  you  in  all  your  wants,  and  who  would  even  take 
great  pleasure  in  the  opportunity  of  bestowing  a  benefit 
upon  you,  you  would  undoubtedly  be  acting  ungrate- 
fully if  you  did  not  have  recourse  to  him  in  your  neces- 

1  Frov.  viii.  31.  3  St.  Matt,  xi,  28. 


(J4  ON  VISITING  JESUS  CHRIST 

sities.  But  where,  I  ask,  can  you  find  a  better,  a  more 
faithful,  or  a  more  liberal  friend  than  Jesus  Christ  in 
the  Blessed  Sacrament  ?  one  who  more  sincerely  wishes 
you  well ;  one  who  consults  more  your  advantage  and 
happiness  ;  one  who  grants  your  petitions  with  greater 
readiness  and  pleasure  ?  Ought  you  not,  then,  to  feel 
drawn  to  go  after  your  King  and  best  friend,  in  order 
to  show  your  gratitude  to  Him  ? 

What  would  you  say  if  a  rich  man  should  come  and 
take  up  his  abode  in  the  neighborhood  of  a  poor  beggar, 
for  no  other  purpose  than  to  make  it  more  easy  for  the 
poor  man  to  receive  from  him  relief  in  all  his  necessi- 
ties ?  What  would  you  say  of  such  a  lord  ?  "  Oh  !  " 
you  would  exclaim,  ahow  good,  how  exceedingly  good 
he  is !  He  deserves  to  be  honored,  esteemed,  praised 
and  loved  by  all  men.  How  happy  is  the  poor  man 
who  has  such  a  lord  for  his  friend ! "  But  while,  in  fact, 
none  of  the  rich  of  this  world  have  ever  gone  so  far  in 
love  to  the  poor,  Jesus  Christ,  the  King  of  heaven 
and  earth,  has  gone  so  far  in  His  love  for  us  poor  sin« 
ners ;  He  takes  up  His  abode  in  our  churches  for  the 
convenience  of  each  one  of  us.  O  how  happy  we  are ! 
Would  to  God  that  each  of  us  availed  himself  of  this 
happiness  by  frequently  visiting  Jesus  Christ  in  the 
Blessed  Sacrament.  Thus,  at  least,  the  saints  have  ever 
shown  their  gratitude.  St.  Mary  Magdalene  de  Pazzis, 
as  we  read  in  her  life,  visited  Jesus  Christ  in  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  thirty-three  times  a  day.  The  Coun- 
tess of  Feria,  a  fervent  disciple  of  the  venerable  Father 
Avila,  and  afterwards  a  nun  of  the  Order  of  IJo>r  Clares, 


IN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.  65 

was  callod  the  Spouse  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  from 
her  fervent  and  lengthened  visits  to  It.  Being  once 
asked  what  she  did  during  the  many  hours  which  she 
spent  before  Its  sacred  presence,  she  replied  :  "  I  could 
remain  there  for  all  eternity !  Is  there  not  there  the 
very  essence  of  God  which  is  the  food  of  the  blessed  ? 
Good  God !  They  ask  what  we  do  before  Thee?  What 
is  there  that  we  do  not  do  ?  We  love,  we  praise,  we 
give  thanks,  we  entreat.  What  does  a  beggar  do  in  the 
presence  of  a  rich  man  ?  What  does  the  sick  man  do 
when  he  sees  his  physician  ?  or  one  who  is  thirsty  at  a 
running  spring?  or  a  starving  man  at  a  plentiful  table?"' 

St.  Elizabeth,  of  Hungary,  was  accustomed,  even  in 
her  childhood,  often  to  visit  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed 
Sacrament.  If  she  found  the  church  closed,  she  would 
affectionately  kiss  the  lock  of  the  door  and  the  walls  of 
the  church  for  love  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Most  Holy 
Eucharist. 

St.  Alphonsus  being  unable,  on-  account  of  his  ad- 
vanced age,  to  walk  to  the  church,  had  himself  carried 
thither  in  a  chair,  in  order  to  pay  his  accustomed  visit 
to  his  beloved  Saviour. 

Father  Aloys  la  Nuza,  a  great  Missionary  of  Sicily, 
was,  even  when  a  young  student  in  the  world,  so  much 
attached  to  Jesus  Christ,  that  it  seemed  as  if  he  could 
hardly  tear  himself  from  the  presence  of  his  beloved 
Lord,  on  account  of  the  great  delight  he  found  there ; 
and  being  commanded  by  his  director  not  to  remain 
before  the  Blessed  Sacrament  longer  than  an  hour  at  a 
"ime,  when  that  period  had  elapsed  it  was  as  great  a 
6*  E 


66  ON  VISITING  JESUS  CHRIST 

violence  to  him  to  separate  from,  the  bosom  of  Jesus, 
as  for  an  infant  to  tear  itself  from  its  mother's  breast. 
The  writer  of  his  life  says,  that,  when  he  was  forced  to 
leave  the  church,  he  would  stand  looking  at  the  altar 
and  turning,  again  and  again,  as  if  he  could  not  take 
leave  of  his  Lord,  whose  presence  was  so  sweet  and  so 
consoling. 

Father  Salesio,  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  felt  consolation 
in  even  speaking  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  He  never 
could  visit  it  often  enough.  When  summoned  to  the 
gate,  when  returning  to  his  room,  or  passing  from  one 
part  of  the  house  to  another,  he  made  use  of  all  these 
opportunities  to  repeat  his  visits  to  his  beloved  Lord, 
so  that  it  was  remarked  that  scarcely  an  hour  of  the 
day  elapsed  without  his  visiting  Him.  Thus,  at  length 
he  merited  the  grace  of  martyrdom  at  the  hands  of 
heretics,  while  defending  the  Real  Presence  in  the  Most 
Holy  Sacrament.  Oh,  how  do  these  examples  v>f  the 
Saints  confound  us,  who  have  so  little  love  for  Jesus 
Christ  and  are  so  negligent  in  visiting  Him !  But 
some  one  may  say,  "I  have  too  much  to  do ;  I  am  busy ; 
I  cannot  find  time."  Dear  Christian,  do  not  say,  "  I 
have  too  much  to  do,"  but  say,  "  I  have  too  much  love 
and  affection  for  the  goods  of  this  world,  and  too  little 
love  for  Jesus  Christ."  You  find  time  to  eat  and  to 
drink ;  you  find  time  to  rest  and  to  sleep ;  you  find  time 
to  talk  and  to  laugh ;  time  to  amuse  yourself;  time  for 
all  your  temporal  affairs ;  time  even  to  sin.  And  how 
is  it  that  you  find  time  for  all  these  things  ?  It  is  be- 
cause you  like  them.     If  you  appear  but  seldom  befvo 


IN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.  67 

Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  it  is  an  evident 
sign  that  you  love  Him  but  little.  Love  Him  a  little 
more,  and  you  will  find  time  to  visit  Him.  Do  not 
say,  "  I  am  busy."  The  Saints,  too,  were  very  busy, 
perhaps  more  so  than  you  are,  and  yet  they  found  time 
enough  to  visit  their  Lord.  Do  you  imagine  that  you 
have  more  to  think  of  than  St,  Wenceslaus,  King  of 
Bohemia?  or  St.  Lewis,  King  of  France?  And  yet 
because  they  tenderly  loved  Jesus  Christ,  their  King, 
they  found  time  every  day  to  pay  a  visit  to  Him.  Be 
sure,  if  you  do  not  visit  Jesus  Christ  at  all,  or  if  you 
visit  Him  but  seldom,  your  love  and  affection  for  Him 
are  not  great,  I  repeat,  then,  once  more :  Love  your 
Lord  and  God  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  a  little  more, 
and  I  am  sure  you  will  be  found  oftener  before  the  altar. 
Ag-ain,  do  not  sav,  "I  have  too  much  to  do."  It  is 
for  this  very  reason  that  you  should  feel  obliged  to  visit 
your  Saviour.  For  the  laboring  and  heavy-laden  are 
invited  by  Jesus  Christ  to  come  to  Him :  "  Come  to 
Me  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will 
refresh  you."  "  Instead  of  being  kept  .away  from  Me 
by  your  numerous  toils  and  labors,"  He  seems  to  say 
to  you,  you  should  rather  feel  drawn  to  Me,  in  order 
to  speak  to  Me  about  them.  Come  and  tell  Me  all 
your  troubles,  recommend  to  Me  all  your  affairs,  and  I 
will  bless  them  that  they  may  succeed.  The  Saints 
understood  this  well ;  they  knew  and  were  persuaded 
that  on  God's  blessing  depends  everything ;  they  knew 
liict  if  God  did  not  bless  their  temporal  affairs,  they 
V  aid  :  it  traced,  nay,  that  they  would  be  even  in- 


68  ON  VISITING  JESUS  CHRIST 

jurious  and  hurtful  to  their  souls.  Whenever  St. 
Vincent  of  Paul  had  to  transact  any  important  business, 
he  would  go  before  the  Blessed  Sacrament  and  rec- 
ommend the  affair  to  Jesus  Christ,  beseeching  Him 
confidently  to  give  it  His  blessing,  and  after  having 
performed  it,  he  went  again  to  the  church  to  thank 
Jesus  Christ  for  its  success.  Before  the  Blessed  Sac- 
rament St.  Francis  Xavier,  too,  found  strength  for  his 
toils  in  India.  Whilst  his  days  were  passed  in  saving 
souls,  he  passed  much  of  the  night  in  prayer  before  tin 
Blessed  Sacrament. 

St.  John  Francis  Regis  used  to  do  the  same ;  and  if 
he  found  the  church  closed,  he  would  console  himself 
by  kneeling  at  the  door,  even  in  the  cold  and  wet,  that 
he  might,  at  least  at  a  distance,  pay  his  homage  to  his 
sacramental  Consoler.  When  any  affliction  befell  St. 
Francis  of  Assisium,  he  went  immediately  to  com- 
municate it  to  Jesus  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  The 
Blessed  Bertha,  of  Oberried  in  Alsace,  being  one  day 
asked  by  one  of  her  sisters  in  "religion,  how  she  could 
discharge  so  many  distracting  duties  without  prejudice 
to  her  piety,  replied :  "  Whenever  I  am  entrusted  with 
an  office,  I  go  to  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament. 
He  is  my  Comforter,  my  Lord  and  best  Counsellor, 
and  I  do  carefully  what  He  inspires  me  to  do.  He 
governs  me,  and  it  is  by  Him  that  I  govern  thoee 
whom  He  has  confided  to  me."  Do  you,  O  Christian, 
understand  this  language?  Do  you  understand  how 
the  blessing  of  heaver  is  to  be  obtained  upor  your 
affairs  and  undertakings  ?     Oh,  were  you  to  vis: it  Jcsui 


IN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.  69 

Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  only  for  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  each  day,  from  how  many  trials  and  hardships 
would  you  be  delivered,  from  how  many  accidents, 
misfortunes,  temptations  and  attacks  of  the  devil  would 
you  be  preserved ;  how  few  sins  would  you  commit, 
and  how  much  more  consolation  and  peace  of  heart 
would  you  enjoy ! 

"  How  true  it  is,"  you  would  exclaim,  "  what  Jesus 
Christ  has  said  :  '  Seek  first  the  Kingdom  of  God,  and 
the  rest  will  be  added  unto  you.? "  "  Ah,"  you  would 
say,  "  since  I  have  been  in  the  habit  of  going  to  church 
every  day,  I  labor  only  half  as  much  as  before,  and  yet 
I  have  more  success  than  when  I  used  to  labor  day  and 
night  by  the  sweat  of  my  brow." 

Instead,  then,  of  spending  your  time  in  idle,  useless 
talk,  in  games  and  amusements,  go  to  church  and  pray 
there  for  a  while,  in  order  to  draw  down  the  blessing 
of  heaven  upon  you  and  your  whole  family.  Rest  as- 
sured, that  you  will  experience  what  so  many  holy 
souls  have  experienced  whilst  before  the  Blessed  Sac- 
rament, namely,  that  you  will  feel  a  thousand  times 
happier  in  the  company  of  Jesus  Christ  than  in  the 
most  delightful  company  of  men.  Men  can  only  afford 
you  vain  consolations,  but  Jesus  Christ  has  His  hands 
full  of  lasting  consolations  and  divine  graces,  which 
He  is  ready  to  pour  out  upon  your  soul,  if  you  present 
yourself  before  Him. 

One  day  as  Frederic  IV.,  King  of  Prussia,  was 
passing  through  the  Rhenish  Province,  a  certain  cow- 
herd approached  the  Royal  carriage,  and   commenced 


70  ON  VISITING  JESUS  CHRIST 

playing  as  artistically  as  he  could  on  his  rude  horn. 
The  King,  admiring  the  simplicity  and  token  of  honor 
of  the  cow-herd,  presented  him  with  a  piece  of  money, 
to  repay  him  for  the  loyalty  he  had  exhibited  towards 
his  Sovereign.  Now,  if  this  earthly  Prince  so  readily 
rewarded  this  slight  act  of  honor,  how  much  more 
readily  will  not  our  Lord  pour  out  His  graces  upon  all 
those  who  come  to  honor  Him  in  the  Blessed  Sac- 
rament, for  ever  so  short  a  time. 

Our  Lord  manifested  this  readiness  to  Blessed  Bal- 
thasar  Alvarez,  when  once  kneeling  before  the  altar. 
He  showed  Himself  in  the  sacred  host  as  a  little  child 
with  His  hands  full  of  precious  stones,  saying :  "  If 
there  were  only  some  one  to  whom  I  might  distribute 
them."  Are  you,  then,  in  temporal  want?  Go  to 
Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament;  He  can  and  He 
will  help  you. 

St.  Peter,  of  Alcantara,  one  day,  seeing  his  brethren 
in  religion  destitute  of  bread,  and  without  the  means 
of  procuring  it,  ordered  them  to  go  and  pray  before  the 
Blessed  Sacrament.  No  sooner  had  they  done  so,  than 
the  bell  was  rung  at  the  door,  and  the  janitor,  on  open- 
ing the  door,  instead  of  seeing  some  person  there,  as  he 
expected,  found  a  large  basket  of  white  bread,  which 
Jesus  Christ  had  sent  them,  probably,  by  His  angels. 

When  the  soldiers  of  the  Emperor  Frederic  II.  were 
in  the  act  of  scaling  the  walls  of  Assisium,  in  order  to 
sack  the  city,  St.  Clare  went  before  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment and  prayed  there  in  the  following  manner :  "  O 
Lord,  shall,  then,  Thy  servants  be  delivered  up  into 


IN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.  71 

the  hands  of  the  infidels?"  "No,"  said  Jesus  Christ 
to  her,  "  I  have  always  protected  you  and  will  continue 
to  do  so."  At  the  same  moment  some  of  the  soldiers 
took  to  flight,  being  struck  with  an  inward  terror; 
others  fell  down  from  the  walls,  while  others  became 
suddenly  blind. 

Maximilian  I.,  Emperor  of  Austria,  having  ascended 
the  steep  mountains  in  the  neighborhood  of  Insbruck 
to  so  great  a  height  that  he  could  neither  venture  to 
descend  again,  nor  could  any  one  come  to  his  aid,  cried 
out  to  the  people  below  to  bring  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
as  near  to  him  as  possible,  in  order  (as  in  his  great 
peril  he  was  unable  to  receive  It)  that  he  might  at  least 
honor  It  as  well  as  he  could  by  adoring  It  and  recom- 
mending himself  to  Jesus  Christ  from  the  rock  above. 
Accordingly,  the  Blessed  Sacrament  is  carried  thither ; 
the  Emperor  adores  It  with  most  profound  respect  and 
great  devotion,  and  implores  Jesus  Christ  to  help  him. 
What  happens  ?  No  sooner  had  the  Emperor  com- 
menced to  pray  to  Jesus  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
than  he  saw  a  beautiful  youth  behind  him,  probably 
his  guardian  angel,  who  led  him  safely  down  among 
the  most  frightfully  steep  rocks,  by  a  path  hitherto  un- 
perceived,  and  when  the  Emperor  was  about  to  reward 
b'm,  he  suddenly  disappeared.1 

Many  similar  facts  occur  in  church  history  and  in 
the  lives  of  the  Saints.  Now,  if  Jesus  Christ  is  so 
ready  to  help  us  in  our  temporal  wants,  how  much 
more  readily  will  lie  bestow  spiritual  graces  and  favor" 

1  Dauroltius,  c.  3,  tit.  37. 


72  ON  VISITING  JESUS  CHRIST 

upon  our  souk.  Whence  did  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  draw 
all  that  knowledge  which  enabled  him  to  write  so  learn- 
edly on  every  subject  of  our  holy  religion  ?  Was  it  not 
from  the  fervent  prayers  which  he  used  to  pour  out  in 
the  presence  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament  whenever  he  had 
a  difficulty  in  understanding  or  explaining  a  point? 
Whence  have  so  many  pious  souls  obtained  strength  to 
resist  every  kind  of  temptation  ?  Was  it  not  from  the 
frequent  visits  which  they  paid  to  Jesus  in  the  Most 
Holy  Sacrament?  Father  Thomas  Sanchez,  who  was 
in  the  habit  of  visiting  the  church  five  times  a  day  and 
eight  times  on  Thursdays,  used  to  exclaim  whenever  he 
was  tempted :  "  Jesus  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  help 
me  j "  and  no  sooner  had  he  pronounced  these  words 
than  his  temptation  ceased.  One  day  a  young  man 
said  to  a  priest  of  our  Congregation  :  "  When  the  devil 
assails  me  with  bad  thoughts  and  impure  representa- 
tions, and  I  command  him  in  the  Name  of  Jesus  Christ 
in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  to  leave  me,  he  instantly 
withdraws  from  me." 

And  again,  when  God  sent  forth  Missionaries  to  con- 
vert sinners,  heretics,  infidels,  whither  did  they  go  to 
obtain  their  conversion?  Certainly,  to  that  place  where 
He  resides,  Who  can  change  all  hearts,  how  hardened 
soever  they  may  be.  We  read  in  the  life  of  St.  Francis 
de  Sales,  that  nine  hundred  heretics  presented  them- 
selves to  him  to  abjure  their  heresy  after  he  had  prayed 
with  the  faithful  during  the  forty  hours'  devotion.  A 
few  days  after,  having  prayed  with  the  people  most 
humbly  and  fervently  for  the  same  object,  a  great  many 


rN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.  73 

heretics  of  the  suburbs  of  Focigni  came  to  abjure  theii 
heresy.  Their  example  was  followed  by  three  hundred 
more  of  the  parish  of  Belevaux,  and  three  hundred  of 
the  parish  of  St.  Sergues.  Therefore,  one  of  the  beat 
means  to  convert  sinners  is  to  recommend  them  to 
Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament. 

You  have  heard  and  read  that  there  have  been  Saints 
who  burned  so  ardently  with  the  fire  of  divine  love, 
that  they  often  trembled  in  their  whole  body,  and  that 
the  objects  which  they  touched  bore  the  impress  of  this 
fire  of  divine  love.  This  we  read  in  the  lives  of  St. 
Philip  ISeri,  St.  Catherine,  of  Genoa,  and  St.  Wences- 
laus,  King  of  Bohemia.  The  latter  loved  Jesus  in  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  with  so  much  fervor,  that  with,  his 
own  hands  he  gathered  the  wheat  and  the  grapes  and 
made  the  hosts  and  the  wine  which  were  to  be  used  in 
the  Mass.  He  often  went  at  night,  even  in  winter,  to 
visit  the  church  in  which  the  Blessed  Sacrament  was 
kept.  At  such  times  the  flames  of  divine  love  were 
barring  so  ardently  in  his  soul,  that  they  communicated 
to  his  body  a  sensible  warmth  and  melted  the  snow 
under  his  feet.  He  turned  this  gift  on  one  occasion  to 
a  charitable  account.  His  servant,  who  accompanied 
him  by  night,  suffered  much  from  the  severity  of  the 
cold,  whereupon  the  holy  man  ordered  him  to  follow 
closely  and  tread  in  his  footsteps.  He  did  so,  and  no 
longer  felt  the  coldness  of  the  snow. 

Now,  where  did  the  Saints  obtain  this  inestimable 
gift  of  the  love  of  God  ?  Do  you  think,  perhaps,  in 
conversation  with  men?     Oh   no;   it  was  from  con- 


74  ON  VISITING  JESUS  CHRIST 

versing  frequently  with  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed 
Sacrament.  The  oftener  and  the  longer  they  con\ersed 
with  Him,  the  more  they  felt  their  hearts  inflamed  with 
divine  love.  How  were  so  many  souls  enlightened  to 
see  and  to  know  the  vanity  of  this  world  ?  How  did 
they  find  strength  and  courage  to  leave  all  the  comforts 
of  their  homes,  and  to  lead  a. holy,  mortified,  poor  and 
despised  life?  "Whence  this  great  grace?  It  was  de- 
rived from  their  frequent  conversations  with  Jesus 
Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  Listen  to  what  St. 
Alphonsus,  Bishop  of  St.  Agatha  in  Italy,  that  great 
lover  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  says  about  this :  "  No- 
where have  holy  souls  made  more  admirable  resolutions 
than  here  at  the  feet  of  their  hidden  God.  Out  of  grat- 
itude to  my  Jesus,  veiled  in  this  great  Sacrament,  I 
must  declare,  that  it  was  through  this  devotion,  visit- 
ing Him  in  His  tabernacles,  that  I  withdrew  from  the 
world,  where,  to  my  misfortune,  I  had  lived  to  the  age 
of  twenty-six.  Happy  will  you  be,  if  you  can  separate 
yourself  from  it  earlier  than  I  did,  and  give  yourself 
wholly  to  that  Lord  Who  has  given  Himself  wholly  to 
you.  I  repeat  it— you  will  be  happy,  not  only  in 
eternity,  but  even  in  this  life.  Believe  me,  all  else  is 
f0Hy — banquets,  plays,  parties,  amusements  — these  are 
enjoyments  full  of  bitterness  and  remorse;  trust  oie, 
who  has  tried  them,  and  who  weeps  that  he  did  so.  I 
assure  you  that  the  soul,  by  remaining,  with  any  degree 
of  recollection,  before  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  receiver 
more  comfort  from  Jesus  than  the  world  vvilh  all  its 
pleasures  and  pastimes  can  ever  afford.     What  dei^Y.'., 


IN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT.  75 

u.  be  before  the  altar  Avith  faith,  and  with  even  a  little 
tender  love,  and  to  speak  familiarly  to  Jesus,  "Who  is 
there  to  hear  and  grant  the  prayers  of  those  who  visit 
Him ;  to  implore  pardon  for  our  sins ;  to  lay  our  wants 
before  Him,  as  one  friend  does  before  another  whom  he 
fully  trusts ;  to  beg  for  His  grace,  His  love,  His  para- 
dise. Above  all,  what  a  heaven,  to  make  acts  of  love 
to  this  Lord  Who  remains  on  the  altar,  praying  to  His 
Eternal  Father  for  us,  and  burning  with  love  towards 
us !  In  a  word,  you  will  find  that  the  time  you  spend 
devoutly  before  this  divine  Sacrament,  will  be  the  most 
useful  of  your  life,  and  that  which  will  most  console 
you  in  death,  and  for  eternity.  You  will,  perhaps,  gain 
more  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  prayer  before  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  than  in  all  the  other  spiritual  exercises  of 
the  day.  God  does,  indeed,  grant,  in  every  place,  the 
petitions  of  those  who  pray  to  Him ;  He  has  promised 
to  do  so:  'Ask  audit  shall  be  given  you."  But  in 
the  Most  Holy  Sacrament,  Jesus  dispenses  favors  more 
abundantly  to  those  who  visit  Him.  But  of  what  use 
are  mere  words?     *  Taste  and  see.7" 

To  this  little  exhortation  I  can  add  nothing  more 
consoling,  nothing  more  encouraging  or  more  persua- 
sive. I  will  but  repeat  once  more  His  words :  "  Taste 
and  see."  Go  often  with  devotion  to  visit  Jesus  in  the 
Blessed  Sacrament,  and  after  a  while  you  will  experi- 
ence the  truth  of  what  St.  Alphonsus  has  said,  nay, 
perhaps;  it  may  even  be  given  to  you  to  feel  transports 
of  joy  and  gladness  such  as  the  Saints  have  experienced 

1  Matt.  vii.  7. 


76    VISITING  CHRIST  IN  THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT. 

in  the  presence  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and  to  ex- 
claim, in  the  fulness  of  consolation,  with  the  Blessed 
Gerard,  (a  lay-brother  of  the  Congregation  of  the  Most 
Holy  Redeemer):  "Lord,  let  me  go,  let  me  go"— or 
with  St.  Francis  Xavier :  "  It  is  enough,  Lord,  it  is 
enough"  —  or  with  St.  Aloysius  Gonzaga:  "Withdraw 
from  me,  O  Lord,  withdraw  from  me." 

But,  most  assuredly,  there  is  one  hour  when  the  re- 
membrance of  the  visits  you  have  paid  to  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  will  give  you  indescribable  pleasure  —  the 
hour  of  your  death.  And  if  you  never,  at  any  other 
time,  feel  remorse  for  neglecting  this  great  duty,  cer- 
tainly you  will  feel  it  when  your  soul  has  left  the  body, 
and  you  know  how  near  you  have  been  to  Jesus  Christ 
on  earth.  O  with  what  shame  and  confusion  will  you 
not  be  covered  when  Jesus  will  say  to  you :  "  I  was  a 
stranger  and  you  received  me  not.  I  was  so  near  to 
you  and  you  visited  Me  not.  You  have  treated  Me  as 
an  outcast;  you  have  not  conversed  with  Me,  nor  asked 
graces  of  Me ;  you  have  left  Me  alone;  you  have  thought 
of  Me  but  seldom,  or  not  at  all."  How  confused,  I  say, 
will  you  feel  at  such  a  well-deserved  reproach !  Save 
yourself  this  shame  and  confusion ;  resolve,  from  hence- 
forth, daily  to  spend  some  time,  say  a  half-hour  or  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  at  least,  in  church,  in  the  presence 
of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Most  Holy  Sacrament. 

And  at  the  hour  of  death,  He  will  say  to  you :  "  I 
was,  indeed,  a  stranger  to  many  lukewarm  Christians, 
but  not  to  you ;  you  came  to  visit  Me ;  you  kept  com- 
pany with  Me  on  earth;  you  shall,  from  henceforth, 
enjoy  My  Presence  in  heaven  forever  and  ever  " 


CHAPTER    V. 


ON  THE  GREAT  DESIRE  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  TO 

ENTER  INTO  OUR  HEARTS  IN 

HOLY  COMMUNION 

N  a  preceding  chapter  I  treated  of  the  great 
love  which  Jesus  Christ  has  shown  us  in  the 
institution  of  the  Holy  Eucharist,  and  be- 
cause love  demands  love  in  return,  I  went  on 
to  prove  how  this  condescension  of  His  places  us  under 
the  obligation  of  visiting  Him  frequently,  and  of  pay- 
ing" reverence  to  Him  in  this  Sacrament  of  His  love. 
Jesus  Christ,  however,  is  not  satisfied  with  the  visits 
and  reverence  which  we  pay  to  Him.  He  wishes  espe- 
cially that  we  should  receive  Him  in  Holy  Communion, 
this  is  indeed  His  chief  object  in  remaining  among  us 
under  the  Sacramental  species.  Now,  if  you  ask  why 
it  is  that  Jesus  Christ  wishes  us  to  receive  Him,  I  an- 
swer, it  is  because  he  so  ardently  desires  to  be  united  to 
us.  Yes,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  our  Lord's  heart 
yearns  to  be  united  to  ours.  He  burna  with  the  desire 
of  being  loved  by  us.  Holy  Scripture  represents  Him 
as  standing  at  the  door  of  our  hearts,  knocking  until 
we  open  to  Him.  This  great  desire  of  Jesus  Christ  to 
7*  77 


78     ON  THE  GREAT  DESIRE  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  TO 

enter  into  our  hearts  in  Holy  Communion,  will  be  the 
subject  of  our  present  consideration ;  but  I  must  begin 
by  acknowledging  my  entire  inability  to  describe  it  as 
it  really  is.  That,  indeed,  would  simply  be  impossible. 
No  tongue  can  express  the  longing  of  our  Saviour  to 
unite  Himself  to  us.  I  will  merely  endeavor  to  point 
out  some  of  the  ways  in  which  He  manifests  this  desire, 
and  I  am  sure  that  this  eifort  of  mine,  as  well  as  your 
devout  attention,  dear  reader,  will  cause  great  joy  to 
the  loving  heart  of  Jesus,  Whose  desire  that  we  should 
know  His  love,  is  as  great  as  His  love  itself.  The  first 
proof,  then,  of  our  Lord's  great  longing  to  enter  into 
our  hearts  in  Holy  Communion  is  His  own  declaration. 
When  He  was  about  to  institute  the  Holy  Eucharist, 
He  said  to  His  disciples  :  "  With  desire  I  have  desired 
to  eat  this  Pasch  with  you,"  thereby  expressing,  accord- 
ing to  the  commentary  of  St.  Lawrence  Justinian,  His 
most  ardent  wish,  His  most  earnest  desire  to  unite 
Himself  to  us  in  Holy  Communion.  And  what  He 
expressed  in  so  touching  a  manner  at  the  Last  Supper, 
He  as  often  declared  in  other  ways. 

One  day,  as  St.  Gertrude  was  meditating  on  the  great- 
ness of  the  love  which  made  the  Lord  and  King  of 
heaven  find  His  delight  in  the  society  of  the  children 
of  men,  our  Saviour  illustrated  what  seemed  to  her  so 
incomprehensible  by  the  following  comparison :  The 
son  of  a  king  is  surely  much  higher  and  greater  than 
the  children  who  run  about  the  streets ;  he  has  in  his 
father's  palace  everything  that  can  delight  and  gratify 
him ;  yet,  if  you  give  him  the  choice  either  to  go  out  and 


ENTER  INTO  OUR  HEARTS  IN  HOLY  COMMUNION.    79 

Any  with  the  children  in  the  street,  or  to  stay  at  home 
imid  the  splendors  of  his  father's  court,  he  will  cer- 
tainly prefer  the  former.  "  Thus  I  too,"  said  our  Lord, 
*  find  my  pleasure  in  being  with  you ;  and  having  in- 
stituted the  Blessed  Sacrament  for  this  end,  any  one 
who  prevents  a  soul  from  receiving  Me,  deprives  Me 
of  a  great  pleasure."  He  also  said  to  St.  Mechtildis : 
"Look  at  the  bees  and  see  with  what  eagerness  they 
seek  the  honey-flowers,  yet  know  that  my  desire  to 
come  to  you  in  Holy  Communion  is  far  greater." 
Nay,  He  declared  to  St.  Margaret  of  Cortona,  that 
He  would  even  reward  her  Confessor,  and  that  richly 
too,  for  having  advised  her  to  receive  Holy  Communion 
frequently ;  and  Father  Antonio  Torres,  as  we  read  in 
his  life,  appeared,  shortly  after  death,  in  great  splendor, 
to  a  certain  person,  and  revealed  to  him  that  God  had 
increased  his  glory  in  heaven  in  a  special  manner  for 
having  allowed  frequent  Communion  to  his  penitents, 
Most  remarkable  is  that  promise  of  Jesus  Christ  by 
which  he  induced  the  Blessed  Prudentiana  Zagnoni  (a 
nun  of  the  order  of  St.  Clare)  to  receive  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  frequently.  "  If  thou  wilt  receive  Me  often 
in  Holy  Communion,"  said  He,  "  I  will  forget  all  thy 
ingratitude  towards  Me." 

Words  and  promises  of  our  Lord  like  these  are  in- 
deed powerful  arguments  to  convince  us  of  His  exces- 
sive desire  to  enter  our  hearts  in  Holy  Communion  ; 
but  the  extraordinary  miracles  which  He  has  per- 
formed, in  order  to  enable  His  servants  to  receive  Him 
frequently  in  Holy  Communion,  are  still  more  power- 


80      ON  THE  GREAT  DESIRE  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  TO 

ful  arguments.  St.  Theresa,  at  one  period  of  her  life, 
was  afflicted  with  a  severe  sickness,  attended  with 
vomiting,  which  occurred  regularly  every  morning  and 
evening.  What  most  distressed  her  was,  that  this  ill- 
ness prevented  her  from  receiving  Holy  Communion. 
In  this  affliction  she  had  recourse  to  our  Lord,  and  He, 
Whose  desire  to  come  into  her  heart  was  far  greater 
than  hers  to  receive  Him,  was  pleased  to  cure  her. 
But,  as  if  to  show  for  what  purpose  the  relief  was 
granted,  He  only  delivered  her  from  the  attack  to 
which  she  was  subject  in  the  morning,  leaving  her  sub- 
ject to  that  which  usually  came  on  in  the  evening.  A 
similar  difficulty  prevented  St.  Juliana  Falconieri  from 
receiving  our  Lord  when  her  last  hour  had  come.  After 
having  thought  of  every  possible  means  of  satisfying 
her  desire  for  Communion,  she  at  last  entreated  her 
Confessor  to  bring  the  sacred  host  near  her  that  slip 
might  at  least  humbly  kiss  it.  This  being  refused  her, 
she  begged  that  it  might  be  laid  upon  her  breast,  in 
order  that  her  heart  might  feel  some  refreshment  from 
being  near  to  Jesus,  and  when  the  priest,  in  compliance 
with  her  request,  spread  the  corporal  on  her  breast  and 
laid  our  Lord  upon  it,  she  exclaimed  with  the  greatest 
delight:  "O  my  sweet  Jesus  V  As  she  drew  her  last 
breath,  the  sacred  host  had  disappeared,  and  as  it  was 
not  to  be  found,  the  by-standers  were  sure  that  our 
Saviour,  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  had  united  Himself 
to  her  heart,  to  strengthen  her  in  her  passage  and  ac- 
company her  to  heaven. 

In  the  eighth  chapter  of  the  life  of  St.  Lawrence 


ENTER  INTO  OUR  HEARTS  IN  HOLY  COMMUNION.   8i 

Justinian,  it  is  related  that  there  lived  in  Venice  a  nun 
who  was  prevented  from  receiving  Jesus  Christ  on  the 
feast  of  Corpus  Christi.  Being  much  grieved  thereat, 
she  besought  St.  Lawrence  at  least  to  remember  her  at 
Mass.  Our  Lord  could  not  allow  her  piety  to  go  un- 
rewarded. Accordingly,  while  the  Holy  Patriarch  was 
saying  Mass  in  the  crowded  church,  the  nun  saw  him 
enter  her  cell  with  the  Blessed  Sacrament  to  give  her 
Holy  Communion, 

At  other  times  our  Lord  has  made  the  miracle  still 
more  remarkable,  by  employing  the  ministry  of  an  An- 
gel or  a  Saint,  instead  of  a  priest,  or  by  dispensing  alto- 
gether with  a  visible  agent.  The  Blessed  Gerard  Ma- 
jella,  lay-brother  of  the  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy 
Redeemer,  when  he  was  but  nine  years  old,  approached 
one  day  the  communion-rail,  whilst  the  priest  was  dis- 
tributing Holy  Communion,  impelled  by  a  strong  de- 
sire to  receive  his  Saviour ;  but  the  priest,  seeing  his 
youth,  asked  him  whether  he  had  made  his  first  Com- 
munion, and  finding  that  he  had  not,  sent  him  away. 
But  the  good  heart  of  Jesus  could  not  suffer  the  child 
to  hunger  after  Him  in  vain;  that  very  night  our 
Lord's  Body  was  brought  to  him  by  the  Archangel  St. 
Michael. 

In  like  manner  St.  Stanislaus  Kostka  was  sick  in  the 
house  of  a  Protestant  relative,  and  debarred  of  every 
opportunity  of  receiving  his  beloved  Lord ;  he  made 
his  appeal  to  the  Queen  of  heaven,  and  obtained, 
through  her  intercession,  the  grace  to  receive  thf 
Blessed  Sacrament  at  the  hands  of  St.  Barbara. 


82     ON  THE  GREAT  DESIRE  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  TO 

One  day  whilst  St.  Bonaventure  Avas  assisting  at 
Mass,  lie  felt  an  ardent  desire  to  receive  Holy  Com- 
munion, but  abstained,  through  fear  of  not  being  suffi- 
ciently prepared.  Our  Lord,  however,  could  not  re- 
frain from  gratifying  His  own  desire;  when  the  priest 
had  broken  the  Host,^  the  Saint  perceived  that  a  small 
particle  of  it  had  come  and  rested  on  his  tongue.  I 
might  multiply  instances  of  such  miraculous  Commun- 
ions, but  those  which  I  have  adduced  are  sufficient  to 
show  how  much  our  Lord  has  done  in  order  to  satisfy 
His  wish  to  enter  into  our  hearts  in  Holy  Communion. 
I  will,  therefore,  proceed  to  point  out  another  way 
by  which  He  has  manifested  this  desire,  namely,  the 
threats  and  the  promises  He  has  made  in  order  to 
induce  us  to  receive  the  Blessed  Sacrament. 

When  a  law-giver  wishes  to  insure  the  observance  of 
a  law,  he  promises  rewards  to  those  who  keep  the  law, 
and  threatens  with  punishment  those  who  violate  it; 
and  the  greatness  of  these  rewards  and  punishments  is 
the  measure  of  the  importance  which  he  attaches  to  the 
law.  Now  consider  what  our  Lord  has  done  to  urge 
us  to  receive  Him  frequently  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament. 
Not  content  with  giving  us  the  bare  precept,  "  Take 
and  eat,  for  this  is  My  Body,"  He  has  added  thereto 
the  strongest  inducements.  What  more  could  He  do 
to  prevail  upon  us  to  receive  Him,  than  to  promise  us 
heaven  if  we  do  so.  "He  who  eats  My  Flesh  and 
drinks  My  Blood,"  says  He,  "shall  have  life  everlast- 
ing." On  the  other  hand  He  threatens  us  with  hdl  if 
we  refuse.     "Amen,  Amen,  I  say  unto  you,  unless  you 


ENTER  INTO  OUR  HEARTS  IN  HOLY  COMMUNION.    83 

eat  the  Flesh  of  the  Son  of  Man  and  drink  His  Blood, 
you  shall  not  have  life  in  you." 

Moreover,  as  He  threatens  with  eternal  torments 
those  who  never  receive  Him,  or  who  do  not  receive 
Him  when  the  precept  of  Communion  requires  it,  so 
He  also  punishes,  though  less  severely,  those  who,  from 
negligence  and  indifference,  refuse  to  receive  Holy  Com- 
munion as  often  as  their  state  of  life  demands. 

While  St.  Mary  Magdalen  of  Pazzi  was  praying  one 
day  before  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  she  saw  one  of  her 
deceased  sisters  in  the  choir,  completely  enveloped  in  a 
robe  of  fire  and  reverently  adoring  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment. By  this  the  Saint  was  given  to  understand  that 
the  deceased  nun  was  in  purgatory,  and  that  in  pen- 
ance she  was  to  wear  that  mantle  of  fire,  and  to  adore 
the  Blessed  Sacrament  for  one  hour  every  day,  because 
in  her  lifetime  she  had  often,  through  negligence,  omitted 
to  receive  Holy  Communion. 

Now  what  do  all  these  invitations,  these  promises, 
these  rewards  and  punishments  prove  ?  What,  but  the 
unutterable  desire  of  Jesus  Christ  to  unite  Himself  to  us 
in  Holy  Communion.  He  seems,  in  a  manner,  to  force 
us  to  receive  Him.  He  makes  our  temporal  and  eter- 
nal welfare  depend  on  our  receiving  Him,  and  thus 
makes  use  of  our  natural  desire  for  happiness  to  bring 
us  to  His  Altar.  He  seems  to  say,  "  If  you  do  not  re- 
ceive Me,  you  shall  have  no  health,  no  strength  or 
vigor;  no  comfort,  peace  or  rest;  no  courage,  zeal  or 
devotion;  you  will  be  vehemently  assailed  by  tempta- 
tions which  you  will  not  have  strength  to  resist;  you 


84     ON  THE  GREAT  DESIRE  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  TO   * 

will  commit  mortal  sin,  lose  My  grace  and  friendship, 
and.  becoming  a  slave  of  the  devil,  you  will  finally  fall 
into  hell  and  be  unhappy  forever." 

I  do  not  know  that  I  can  add  any  proof  of  our 
Saviour's  desire  to  enter  our  hearts  in  Holy  Commun- 
ion more  striking  than  those  which  I  have  already 
presented,  but  there  yet  remains  one  to  be  considered, 
which  is  certainly  more  affecting.  I  allude  to  the  pa- 
tience with  which  He  has  borne  the  insults  which,  for 
eighteen  hundred  years,  have  been  heaped  upon  Hini  in 
the  Holy  Eucharist.  I  will  not  offend  you,  dear  reader, 
with  the  relation  of  the  indignities  which  have  been 
offered  to  our  dear  Lord  in  the  Sacrament  of  His  love ; 
it  is  too  dark  a  page  in  the  history  of  human  depravity. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  that  He  has  been  loaded  with  almost 
every  species  of  outrage  which  malice  could  suggest,  or 
impiety  perpetrate.  Infidels,  Jews,  heretics,  and  some- 
times even  nominal  Catholics,  have  united  together  to 
insult  Him.  All  the  sorrows  which  our  Lord  had  to 
endure  during  His  life  on  earth  are  repeated  again  and 
again  in  this  Holy  Mystery. 

Now,  why  does  Jesus  Christ  endure  such  affronts? 
Surely  none  of  us  would  be  willing  to  remain  with 
those  who  continually  maltreat  and  persecute  us ;  a  life 
in  the  desert,  in  the  midst  of  extreme  poverty  and  des- 
olation, would  be  preferable  to  such  a  lot.  Why,  then, 
is  our  Saviour  so  patient  amid  so  many  outrages  ?  Is 
He  not  free  to  act  as  He  pleases  ?  Is  He  constrained 
to  remain  with  us  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  ?  Yes,  He 
is.     He  does,  indeed,  sometimes  vindicate  His  honor{ 


EN'FFAl  INTO  OUR  HEARTS  IN  HOLY  COMMUNION.  85 

and  visit  irreverence  with  exemplary  punishment;  but 
there  is  one  point  to  which  His  anger  never  goes  — 
He  will  never  take  back  the  gift  of  His  love.  Men 
may  do  what  they  will,  but  the  desire  of  Jesus  Christ 
to  be  united  with  us  will  always  force  Him  to  remain 
in  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  This  is  the  secret  of  our 
Lord's  endurance.  He  endures  all  things  for  the  sake 
of  the  elect.  All  the  outrages  which  the  wicked  have 
heaped  upon  Him  are  compensated  for  by  one  devout 
Communion,  and  He  is  willing  to  remain  in  our 
churches,  abandoned,  alone  for  hours  and  hours,  that 
Pie  may  be  able  to  unite  Himself  with  the  first  soul 
that  comes  hungering  for  the  Bread  of  Life. 

O,  how  true  are  the  words  which  Jesus  Christ  spoke 
to  His  disciples  at  the  Last  Supper  !  "  With  desire  I 
have  desired  to  eat  this  Pasch  with  you."  God  desires 
that  we  should  receive  Him.  He  commands  us  to  re- 
ceive Him ;  He  threatens  us  with  hell  if  we  refuse ;  He 
punishes  us  in  purgatory  if  we  are  careless  in  receiving 
Him.  He  promises  to  forgive  all  our  ingratitude,  to 
remit  the  temporal  punishment  due  to  our  sins,  nay,  to 
give  us  heaven  itself,  if  we  only  receive  Him.  He 
promises  a  special  reward  to  those  of  His  priests  who 
encourage  other  to  receive  Him  ;  and,  as  if  all  this  were 
not  enough,  R  z  employs  His  Angels  and  Saints,  yea, 
His  own  Omnipotence,  to  convey  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
fco  those  who  are  prevented  from  receiving  Him.  Shall 
we  not  respond  to  this  desire  of  our  Lord  ?  Jesus,  our 
King,  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth,  longs  after  us, 
and  shall  not  we,  His  creatures  and  subjects,  long  after 
8  F 

r 


86      ON  THE  GREAT  DESIRE  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  TO 

Him?     Jesus  Christ,  the  Good    Shepherd,  desires  to       * 
feed  His  sheep,  and  shall  not  the  sheep  know  His  voice 
and  follow  Him? 

Ah,  if  we  knew  that  some  great  and  rich  Prince  had 
so  set  his  heart  on  us  as  to  find  his  happiness  in  dwell- 
ing with  us,  how  impatiently  would  we  expect  his 
arrival,  how  eagerly  would  we  count  the  days  and 
hours  until  he  had  come  !  Now,  Jesus  Christ  is  fai 
greater  and  richer  than  any  earthly  prince.  What 
honor  is  sp  great  as  that  of  receiving  our  God  and 
Saviour?  And  shall  we  say:  Delay,  O  Lord;  come 
not  now ;  wait  a  little  longer  !  Alas!  that  there  should 
be  any  Christians  who  speak  thus !  Can  we  conceive 
anything  more  extraordinary  than  that  a  man  who  be- 
lieves and  knows  that  God  desires  to  unite  Himself  to 
his  soul,  should  yet  remain  indifferent  to  so  great  a 
favor  ?  Can  anything  show  more  clearly  how  the  world 
and  sin  have  usurped  the  place  of  God  in  the  human 
heart,  and  blinded  it  to  its  true  happiness  ?  Let  me 
warn  you,  at  least,  dear  reader,  against  such  folly  and 
ingratitude.  If  your  own  desire  does  not  impel  you  to 
receive  Holy  Communion,  at  least  let  the  desire  of 
Jesus  Christ  urge  you.  Do  not  stay  away  because  your 
love  is  cold  ;  go,  and  your  love  will  grow  warm.  Begin 
by  going  to  please  Him,  and  you  will  keep  on  to  please 
yourself.  This  Sacrament  is  the  great  means  of  ad- 
vancing in  Divine  love.  Those  who  taste  a  little 
honey  desire  to  eat  more ;  but  those  who  know  not  its 
sweetness  do  not  desire  it  at  all.  In  like  manner,  this 
heavenly  banquet  continually  satisfies  and  creates  spir- 
itual hunger. 


ENTER  INTO   OUR  HEARTS  IN  HOLY  COMMUNION.    87 

The  Saints,  by  often  receiving  their  Saviour,  obtained 
such  a  longing  desire  to  possess  Him,  as  even  to  cause 
them  suffering  until  it  was  satisfied.  St.  Theresa's 
desire  for  Holy  Communion  was  so  great  that  she  used 
to  say,  that  neither  fire  nor  sword  could  deter  her  from 
receiving  her  Divine  Lord.  St.  Mary  Magdalen  of 
Pazzi  used  to  go  to  that  part  of  the  Communion-rail 
where  the  priest  came  first  to  distribute  the  Blessed 
Sacrament,  in  order  to  receive  onr  Lord  as  quickly  as 
possible.  St.  Philip  Neri  was  often  unable  to  sleep  at 
night,  on  account  of  his  great  desire  to  receive  Lloly 
Communion.  One  night,  as  Father  Antonio  Gallonio 
was  about  to  give  him  Holy  Communion,  he  held  the 
sacred  host  in  his  hand  for  some  time;  at  last,  St.  Philip, 
unable  to  endure  the  delay  any  longer,  cried  out :  "An- 
tonio, why  do  you  hold  my  Lord  in  your  hands  so 
long?  Why  do  you  not  give  Him  to  me?  Why? 
why  ?  Give  Him  to  me ;  give  Him  to  me  ! "  It  is  also 
related  that  this  saint,  when  taking  the  Precious  Blood 
at  Mass,  used  to  press  his  lips  to  the  chalice  with  such 
affection  that  it  seemed  as  if  he  could  not  tear  himself 
away  from  it.  He  thus  gradually  wore  off  the  gilding 
on  the  rim  of  the  chalice.  But  still  more  remarkable 
is  that  which  is  related  of  St.  Alphonsus.  Once,  on 
Good  Friday,  being  unable  to  receive  Holy  Commun- 
ion, his  affliction  was  so  great  that  a  violent  fever 
;ame  on  him  ;  his  life  was  even  in  danger.  The  doc- 
tor came  and  bled  him,  but  there  was  no  improvement 
until  the  next  day,  when  the  saint  learned  that  he  could 
again  receive  his  Saviour.     On  receiving  these  joyful 


88     ON  THE  GREAT  DESIRE  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  TO 

tidings,  the  fever  immediately  left  him.  "  Gustate  et 
videte  quoniam  suavis  est  Dominus — Come,  then,  and 
taste  this  heavenly  food  for  yourself."  Let  neither  the 
example  of  others,  nor  the  pleasures  of  the  world,  nor 
the  coldness  of  your  own  heart  deprive  you  of  so  rich 
a  consolation.  How  truly  does  the  author  of  the  Imi- 
tation of  Christ  remark  :  "  If  Jesus  Christ  were  offered 
only  in  one  city  in  the  world,  how  cheerfully  would 
men  endure  even  hardships  to  go  to  that  favored  spot ! 
How  would  they  long  for  the  time  when  they  could  re- 
ceive their  God.  Many  holy  pilgrims  have  undertaken 
long  and  arduous  journeys,  and  have  encountered  dread- 
ful perils  by  land  and  sea,  only  that  they  might  be  able 
to  weep  in  the  places  in  which  our  Saviour  suffered, 
and  to  kiss  the  ground  on  which  He  trod.  What  is 
there,  then,  that  should  prevent  you  from  receiving 
your  Saviour  Himself?  Should  you  not  be  willing  to 
sacrifice  everything — to  sacrifice  health  and  riches,  and 
life  itself,  that  you  might  be  deemed  worthy  of  so  great 
a  favor  ?  So,  at  least,  thought  the  Christians  of  other 
days. 

I  need  not  refer  you  to  the  examples  of  the  early 
Christians  —  there  are  instances  even  in  later  times. 
In  the  time  of  the  penal  laws  in  England,  under  Queen 
Elizabeth,  a  Catholic  nobleman  was  fined  four  hundred 
crowns  for  having  received  Holy  Communion;  but, 
regardless  of  the  iniquitous  law,  he  continued  to  com- 
municate, cheerfully  paying  the  fine  each  time  he  was 
detected,  although  he  was  thereby  obliged  to  sell  two 
of  his  best  estates.     He  declared  that  he  never  spent 


ENTER  INTO  OUR  HEARTS  IN  HOLY  COMMUNION.    89 

any  money  with  greater  joy  than  that  which  he  was 
obliged  to  pay  for  the  privilege'  of  receiving  his 
Lord.1  Still  more  affecting  is  the  example  which  is 
related  of  a  dying  man,  in  the  time  of  St.  Charles 
Borromeo,  Archbishop  of  Milan.  A  dreadful  pes- 
tilence had  broken  out  in  the  city,  and  a  certain  man  in 
the  hospital  of  St.  Gregory  having  been  attacked  by  it, 
was  soon  reduced  to  the  last  extremity.  In  this  state 
he  was  carried,  more  dead  than  alive,  to  a  place  where 
the  dead  bodies  were  thrown  before  being  buried. 
Life,  however,  was  not  yet  quite  extinct,  and,  after  a 
night  spent  in  this  horrible  situation,  he  heard,  in  the 
morning,  the  sound  of  the  bell  announcing  the  ap- 
proach of  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  Seized  with  an 
ardent  desire  of  receiving  his  Saviour,  he  extricated 
himself  with  great  difficulty  from  the  dead  bodies  that 
were  piled  upon  him,  and  crawling  to  the  feet  of  the 
priest  who  carried  the  Holy  Viaticum,  he  conjured  him 
to  give  him  Holy  Communion.  The  priest,  touched 
with  compassion,  immediately  communicated  him,  but 
the  efforts  the  poor  man  had  made  were  too  much 
for  his  feeble  strength,  and  while  his  lips  were  yet 
moving  in  prayer,  and  his  eyes  looking  up  to  heaven, 
he  fell  back  cold  and  lifeless  at  the  feet  of  the  priest. 
You,  dear  reader,  have  no  such  efforts,  no  such 
sacrifices  to  make,  in  order  to  receive  your  Lord;  you 
need  not  undertake  long  journeys  nor  cross  stormy  seas 
and  high  mountains ;  Jesus  Christ  is  at  your  door ;  you 
have  but  to  go  to  the  church  and  you  will  find  Him, 

1  Schmid's  Histor.  Catecb. 


90        CHRIST  DESIRES  TO  BE  UNITED   WITH  US. 

You  have  everything  to  gain  and  nothing  to  lose  in 
receiving  a  good  Communion.  Avail  yourself,  then, 
of  so  great  a  privilege.  If  you  have  communicated 
hitherto  but  seldom,  communicate  oftener  for  the  future. 
Our  Lord  Himself  solicits  you ;  He  repeats  the  cry  He 
uttered  on  the  cross :  "  Sitio  \"  "I  thirst."  And  fcr 
what  does  He  thirst  ?  He  thirsts  for  your  heart ;  He 
urges  you  as  He  did  Zacheus :  "  Make  haste,  for  to-day 
I  must  abide  in  thy  house."  How  exceedingly  great 
is  the  reward  of  those  who  obey  this  loving  invitation ! 
Does  not  Jesus  Christ  declare  that  He  will  recompense 
those  who  receive  Him  and  show  mercy  to  Him  in  the 
person  of  the  poor?  How  much  more  will  He  reward 
those  who  receive  Him  and  show  mercy  to  Him  in 
person.  To  such  He  will  say  :  "  I  was  naked  "  in  the 
Blessed  Sacrament,  stripped  of  my  glory,  and  your 
faith,  reverence  and  devotion  supplied  what  was  want- 
ing to  My  Majesty ;  I  was  "  imprisoned  "  in  the  form 
of  bread  and  wine,  and  "  sick  "  with  love  for  you,  and 
you  did  lovingly  visit  Me  and  refresh  Me ;  I  was  a 
"  stranger,"  unknown  to  the  greater  part  of  mankind, 
and  you  gave  Me  your  heart  for  My  abode ;  I  was 
"  hungry  "  and  "  thirsty,"  consumed  with  the  desire  of 
possessing  your  affections  entirely,  and  you  satisfied  My 
desire  to  the  utmost.  Come,  then,  blessed  of  My 
Father,  possess  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world. 


CHAP  TEE    VI. 


UN  preparation  for  communion. 

N  order  to  receive  the  abundant  fruits  of  the 
Holy  Eucharist,  a  certain  co-operation  is 
required  on  the  part  of  the  receiver:  not, 
indeed,  that  the  efficacy  of  the  Sacrament, 
considered  in  itself,  depends  at  all  on  the  recipient — 
this  efficacy  it  has  entirely  from  God — but  because  its 
salutary  effects,  in  each  particular  case,  depend  upon 
the  disposition  with  which  it  is  received.  The  co- 
operation which  is  required  on  our  part  consists,  in 
general,  in  approaching  it  with  a  sincere  desire  to 
receive  the  graces  which  are  imparted  through  it,  and, 
afterward,  in  turning  them  carefully  to  account.  In 
order  to  obtain  this  disposition,  it  is  advisable  to  devote 
some  time,  before  and 'after  Communion,  to  preparation 
and  thanksgiving.  Of  these,  then,  I  will  proceed  to 
speak.  First,  of  the  preparation  before  Communion. 
When  speaking  of  preparation  for  Communion,  the 
previous  qualification  of  being  in  the  state  of  grace  is 
always  presupposed.  It  is  related  of  the  Emperor 
Frederic,  that,  having  on  one  occasion  gone  to  visit  a 
nobleman  at  his  own  castle,  he  was  received  into  an 

91 


92  ON  PRE  PA  RA  TION 

apartment  which  was  thickly  hung  with  cobwebs ; 
whereupon,  being  transported  with  rage,  he  immedi- 
ately left  the  house,  exclaiming :  "  This  room  is  better 
fitted  for  a  dog-kennel  than  for  the  chamber  of  an 
emperor !  "  How  much  more  justly  might  Jesus  Christ 
feel  indignant  at  being  received  into  a  soul  defiled  with 
mortal  sin?  "He  Whose  eyes  are  pure  and  cannot 
behold  iniquity  ! "  Accordingly,  St.  Paul  teaches  us 
that  we  must  prove  ourselves  before  we  eat  of  the  Body 
of  the  Lord,  meaning  thereby,  that  if,  upon  examination, 
we  find  ourselves  guilty  of  any  grievous  sin,  we  should 
cleanse  our  conscience  by  a  good  confession.  There 
are  certain  snakes,  says  St.  Bernard,  which  spit  out  the 
poison  that  is  in  their  mouths  before  they  begin  to 
irink  ;  and  we,  before  approaching  the  fountain  of  Life, 
must  spit  out  the  poison  of  sin.  This  preparation,  as 
I  have  said,  is  always  presupposed,  and  every  Catholic 
knowing  it  to  be  an  indispensable  requisite,  it  will  not, 
therefore,  be  necessary  to  dwell  longer  upon  it,  espe- 
cially as  occasion  will  be  taken  to  speak  of  it  hereafter. 
I  have  said  we  must  be  free  from  mortal  sin,  for  it  is 
this  only  which  absolutely  renders  us  incapable  of  re- 
ceiving the  fruits  of  Communion ;  but  venial  sins,  es- 
pecially those  which  are  fully  deliberate,  and  even  vol- 
untary imperfections,  greatly  hinder  the  efficacy  of  the 
Sacrament.  One  who  now  and  then  speaks  in  dispar- 
agement of  his  neighbor,  or  tells  petty  falsehoods, 
though  he  may  not  commit  a  mortal  sin,  yet  deprives 
himself  of  many  graces  wh'ch  he  would  otherwise  have 
received. 


FOR  COMMUNION.  93 

The  first  step  in  our  preparation  for  Communion, 
arter  we  have  been  reconciled  to  God,  is  an  habitual 
effort  to  please  Him.  It  is,  moreover,  carefully  to  be 
noticed,  that,  in  order  to  receive  the  full  extent  of  grace 
attached  to  this  Sacrament,  our  hearts  must  be  free  from 
all  inordinate  affections.  St.  Gertrude,  on  on^  occasion, 
asked  our  Lord  how  she  ought  to  prepare  for  Holy 
Communion,  and  He  replied:  "I  ask  nothing  more 
than  that  you  should  come  with  an  empty  heart." 

There  is  also  another  disposition,  which  is  always 
presupposed,  pertaining  to  the  body.  No  one  can  re- 
ceive the  Flesh  of  Christ  unless  he  be  fasting,  that  is 
to  say,  unless  he  has  abstained  from  eating  or  drinking 
any  thing  whatsoever  from  the  preceding  midnight;  the 
only  exception  to  this  rule  being  when  the  Holy  Com- 
munion is  administered  to  the  dying  by  way  of  Viati- 
cum. This  law  of  the  Church,  which  is  intended  to 
secure  greater  reverence  for  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  is 
founded  on  the  most  evident  reasons  of  propriety,  so 
much  so  that  St.  Augustine  takes  it  for  granted  that  no 
Christian  would  be  guilty  of  the  indecency  of  taking 
anything  into  his  mouth  before  the  Body  of  the  Lord 
has  entered  it.1  Besides  this  requisite,  Christians  gen- 
erally employ  a  longer  or  a  shorter  time,  according  to 
their  ability,  in  actual  preparation ;  and  of  this  it  will 
'be  useful  to  speak  more  particularly. 

Having  treated,  in  a  former  chapter,  of  the  duty  of 
reverence  towards  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  I  deem  it 
useless  to  prove  here,  at  great  length,  the  propriety  of 

1  Epist.  54.  A 


94  ON  PREPARATION 

making  some  actual  preparation  for  Communion.  Com 
mon  sense  is  enough  to  teach  every  man  that  it  is  not 
becoming  to  receive  his  God  into  his  heart  without  pre- 
vious preparation.  I  suppose  you  have,  at  some  time, 
witnessed  the  public  reception  of  some  great  man,  whom 
the  people  wish  to  honor  —  some  distinguished  warrior, 
or  successful  candidate,  or  great  orator.  What  a  crowd 
in  the  streets !  What  anxiety  to  secure  a  place  for  see- 
ing !  What  a  cry  and  tumult  on  all  sides !  And  when 
the  hero  of  the  day  arrives,  what  eagerness  to  get  a 
sight  of  him  !  How  dense  the  crowd  becomes  behind 
him  !  How  happy  they  on  whom  he  smiles,  or  to  whom 
he  speaks !  How  greatly  envied  is  the  favored  citizen 
witli  whom  he  will  take  up  his  abode !  What  hurry, 
and  bustle,  and  excitement  in  the  house  where  he  is  to 
lodge !  Now,  stop  and  ask  yourself,  for  whom  is  all 
this  ?  For  a  man  —  a  poor,  weak,  mortal  man.  And  I, 
alas !  with  unconcern,  receive  Him  Who  is  the  "  Splen- 
dor of  His  Father's  Glory  and  the  Figure  of  His  Sub- 
stance ! " 

When  king  David  was  asked  why  he  had  prepared 
so  vast  a  quantity  of  gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones 
for  the  temple  he  was  about  to  erect,  he  answered  : 
"  The  work  is  great :  for  a  house  is  not  prepared  for 
man,  but  for  God."  And  yet,  in  that  Temple  the  Holy 
of  Holies,  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  and  the  manna 
were  but  shadows.  We  have  the  true  Holy  of  Holies, 
the  Living  Manna,  the  Life-giving  Bread  that  came 
down  from  heaven  !  Should  we  not,  then,  exert  all  our 
care  in    arranging   a   dwelling-place   for   this    Divine 


FOR  COMMUNION.  §L 

Guest!  "When  thou  shalt  sit  to  eat  with  a  prince/' 
says  the  wise  king  Solomon,  "  consider  diligently  what 
is  set  before  thy  face."  How  much  more  diligently 
ought  we  to  consider  what  we  are  about  to  do,  when 
we  appear  at  the  table  of  the  great  King  of  heaven  and 
earth,  to  feed  on  the  Flesh  of  His  beloved  Son ! 

This  reflection,  so  natural  and  obvious,  is  sufficient 
to  show  us  the  jpropriety  of  some  actual  preparation  for 
Communion.  To  this  I  wrill  add  another  reflection  to 
show  its  great  utility.  It  is  in  the  highest  degree 
advantageous  to  prepare  ourselves  for  Holy  Com- 
munion, because  the  fruit  it  produces  depends  on  the 
disposition  with  which  we  receive  it.  Divines  use  the 
following  figure  in  illustration  :  as  wood,  that  is  not 
seasoned,  will  not  burn  well,  because  the  moisture  that 
is  in  it  resists  the  action  of  the  fire,  so  the  heart,  which 
is  full  of  earthly  affections,  is  not  in  a  fit  state  to  be 
enkindled  with  the  living  fire  of  Divine  Love  by  means? 
of  this  Holy  Sacrament. 

Father  Lallemant  says,  that  many  souls  are  almost 
as  little  benefited  by  the  Holy  Eucharist  as  the  wall? 
of  the  church  in  which  it  is  preserved,  because  they  are 
as  hard  and  as  cold  as  the  very  walls  themselves.  And 
St.  Bernard  concisely  expresses  the  same  truth,  by  say- 
ing :  "  Sicut  tu  Deo  apparucris,  ita  tibi  Deus  apiparebit" 
"God  will  exhibit  Himself  to  you  just  as  you  show 
yourself  disposed  towards  Him."  When,  therefore, 
people  complain  of  receiving  but  little  fruit  from  their 
Communions,  they  but  betray  their  own  negligence. 

As  the  light  of  the  sun  far  exceeds  the  light  of  the 


96  ON  PREPARATION 

moon,  so  do  the  effects  of  the  Holy  Eucharist  in  a 
loving  heart  greatly  surpass  those  which  it  produces  in 
a  tepid,  slothful  soul.  The  well-known  story  of 
Widikend,  Duke  of  Saxony,  illustrates  this.  This 
prince,  while  yet  a  pagan,  was  at  war  with  Charle- 
magne ;  having  a  great  curiosity  to  see  what  took  place 
among  the  Christians,  he  disguised  himself  as  a  pilgrim 
and  stole  into  their  camp.  It  happened  to  be  the 
Paschal  time,  and  the  whole  army  were  making  their 
Easter  Communion.  The  stranger  watched  the  cere- 
monies of  Mass  with  interest  and  admiration,  but  how 
much  was  he  surprised,  when  the  priest  administered 
the  Sacrament,  to  see  in  the  host  an  infant  of  shining 
beauty  !  He  gazed  at  the  sight  with  amazement ;  but 
his  astonishment  became  yet  greater  when  he  saw  that 
this  wonderful  child  entered  the  mouths  of  some  of  the 
communicants  with  joy,  while  only  with  great  reluc- 
tance it  allowed  itself  to  be  received  by  others.  This 
vision  was  the  means  of  the  conversion  of  Widikend, 
and  the  submission  of  his  subjects  to  the  faith;  for, 
having  sought  instruction  from  the  Christians,  he  un- 
derstood that  our  Lord  meant  to  show  him,  not  only 
the  truth  of  the  Eeal  Presence,  but  that  lie  ^.iies  into 
our  hearts  with  willingness  or  unwillingness,  as  we  are 
well  or  ill  prepared  for  receiving  Him.1 

Something  similar  is  related  in  the  life  of  the  Blessed 
Margaret  Mary  Alacoque.  One  day  she  saw  our  Lord 
in  the  host  as  the  priest  was  giving  Communion,  and 
she  noticed  that  when  the  priest  came  to  some  of  the 

1  Timal.  Arende  I.,  1  Collat, 


FOR   COMMUNION.  97 

communicants,  our  Lord  stretched  out  His  arms,  and 
seemed  eager  to  unite  Himself  to  them,  while  there 
were  others  toward  whom  He  showed  the  greatest  re- 
pugnance, and  only  suffered  Himself  to  be  dragged  into 
their  mouths  by  certain  cords  and  bands  with  which 
He  was  bound.  He  explained  to  her  afterwards,  that 
the  souls  which  He  entered  willingly  were  those  who 
were  careful  to  please  Him,  and  those  to  whom  He 
showed  so  much  aversion  were  tepid  Christians,  who 
received  Him  into  hearts  full  of  hateful  faults  and 
imperfections.  He  told  her,  moreover,  that  He  entered 
into  such  hearts  merely  on  account  of  His  promises, 
and  the  law  which  He  had  laid  upon  Himself  in  the 
institution  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and  that  this  was 
the  meaning  of  the  bands  and  cords  which  she  had 
seen. 

"  How  then,"  you  ask,  "  am  I  to  prepare  for  Holy 
Communion  ?  "  The  Church  sufficiently  indicates  the 
dispositions  for  Holy  Communion  in  the  following 
words :  "  Domine,  non  sum  dignus,  ut  intres  sub  tectum 
hieum,  sed  tantum  die  verbo,  et  sanabitur  anima  mea. 
Lord,  I  am  not  worthy  that  Thou  shouldst  enter  my 
roof,  but  only  say  the  word  and  my  soul  shall  be 
healed."  These  words  were  spoken  by  the  Centurion, 
who  came  to  our  Saviour  asking  Him  to  heal  his  ser- 
vant. Our  Lord  at  once  offered  to  go  with  him  to  his 
house  to  perform  the  cure,  but  the  good  Centurion 
replied:  "Lord,  I  am  not  worthy  that  Thou  shouldst 
enter  my  roof,  but  only  say  the  word  and  my  servant 
yhall  be  healed."     This  answer  pleased  our  Lord  so 


98  ON  PREPARATION 

much  that  He  not  only  instantly  healed  the  servant, 
but  greatly  commended  the  Centurion's  faith.  These 
words  express  a,  great  esteem  for  Jesus  Christ,  a  great 
sense  of  unworthiness  on  the  part  of  the  supplicant, 
and  a  great  confidence  that  he  would  obtain  what  he 
asked. 

These  are  precisely  the  dispositions  which  the 
Church  requires  for  the  reception  of  Holy  Communion. 
Hence  she  repeats  the  words  of  the  Centurion  in  a  loud 
voice,  each  time  she  distributes  the  Bread  of  Life,  in 
order  to  remind  the  communicants  of  the  duty  of  ap- 
proaching the  sacred  banquet  with  a  deep  sense  of  their 
own  utter  nothingness,  and  with  a  great  desire  of  being 
united  to  their  Divine  Saviour.  To  excite  these 
affections  when  about  to  communicate,  you  have  but  to 
ask  yourself  the  following  questions :  Who  is  it  that  is 
coming?  To  whom  does  He  come,  and  why  is  He 
coming  ? 

Who  is  coming  in  this  Holy  Sacrament?  It  is 
my  Creator,  Who  has  given  me  everything  I  possess, 
in  Whom  I  live,  and  move,  and  am.  It  is  God  all 
Powerful !  all  Wise !  all  Holy  !  all  Beautiful !  Jesus 
Christ  is  coining,  the  Eternal  Son  of  the  Father,  Who, 
moved  by  love  unspeakable,  came  down  from  heaven 
into  the  pure  womb  of  the  Virgin,  was  born  into  this 
world,  and  lived  as  man  among  sinners.  The  Good 
Shepherd  is  coming  to  seek  His  lost  sheep  ;  My  Re- 
deemer is  coming,  who  died  on  the  cross  for  sinners. 

To  whom  is  He  coming?  To  a  miserable  sinner 
who   has   not  fulfilled   the  end  of  his  cieation;   to  a 


FOR  COMMUNION.  99 

steward,  who  has  wasted  his  master's  goods ;  to  a  ser- 
vant who  has  disobeyed  his  lord ;  to  a  subject  who  has 
rebelled  against  his  prince;  to  a  redeemed  captive  who 
has  been  unthankful  to  his  deliverer ;  to  a  soldier  who 
has  deserted  his  commander ;  to  a  prodigal  child  who 
has  turned  his  back  upon  his  father ;  to  a  spouse  who 
has  been  unfaithful  to  her  bridegroom.  Oh  !  what  a 
mingling  of  sentiments,  exalting  and  depressing,  must 
arise  in  the  heart  when  about  to  approach  Holy  Com- 
munion !  How  great  the  distance  between  Him  Who 
is  received  and  the  sinner  who  receives!  Who  can 
think  of  this  and  not  feel  himself  completely  unworthy 
of  such  a  grace ! 

Eusebius  relates  of  St.  Jerome,  that  when  the  Holy 
Viaticum  was  brought  to  him,  at  the  hour  of  his  death, 
he  exclaimed :  "  Lord,  why  dost  Thou  lower  Thyself 
so  much  as  to  come  to  a  publican  and  a  sinner,  not  only 
to  eat  with  him,  but  even  to  be  eaten  by  him  ! "  And 
then,  casting  himself  upon  the  earth,  he  received  his 
Saviour  with  many  tears.  If  a  saint  who  had  spent  a 
long  life  in  penitential  works  for  the  love  of  Christ, 
felt  so  penetrated  with  a  sense  of  his  unworthiness  be- 
fore God,  how  much  more  should  we  humble  ourselves 
when  we  draw  nigh  to  Him !  Should  we  not,  with  a 
true  sorrow  for  our  past  unfaithfulness,  accuse  ourselves 
before  Him,  and  resolve,  by  the  help  of  His  grace,  to 
amend  all  that  is  displeasing  in  His  sight?  The  Pub- 
lican, of  whom  we  read  in  the  Gospel,  stood  far  back 
in  the  temple,  and  smote  his  breast,  saying :  "  Lord,  bo 
merciful  to  me  a  sinner  ! "     And  should  not  we,  when 


1 00  QN  PRE  PARA  TWN 

going  to  the  altar,  hesitate  and  smite  our  hearts,  saying, 
in  the  depths  of  our  hearts  :  "  I  am  not  worthy  !  I  am 
not  worthy ! " 

But  now  the  soul,  having  perceived  the  depth  of  her 
own  u n worthiness,  must  once  more  lift  up  her  eyes  to 
heaven  and  ask :  "  Why  does  this  Holy  God  come  to 
visit  a  sinner  like  me?"  And  here  she  finds  immen- 
sity of  goodness  which  fills  her  again  with  courage  and 
joy.  Why  does  Pie  come?  Surely  not  for  Himself, 
for  He  has  no  need  of  us.  We  cannot  make  Him 
richer  or  happier ;  we  cannot  give  Him  anything  that 
He  has  not  first  given  us.  He  sees  in  us  nothing  of 
our  own  but  misery  and  sin.  He  is  perfectly  happy. 
The  Angels  serve  Him  day  and  night.  There  is  not 
one  of  them  that  would  not  willingly  be  annihilated  if 
He  were  to  will  it.  What,  then,  is  it  that  induces  Him 
to  come  to  us  ?  It  is  love,  pure  undeserved  love.  He 
comes  to  apply  to  our  souls  the  fruits  of  His  Redemp- 
tion which  He  accomplished  on  Calvary ;  for,  in  this 
Sacrament  He  becomes,  to  each  one  of  us,  a  Saviour  in 
a  special  sense.  He  comes  to  accomplish  the  work  for 
which  He  created  us,  to  prepare  us  for  the  place  in 
Heaven  which  He  has  destined  for  us.  It  is  He  that 
works  in  this  Sacrament,  not  we.  He  created  us  :  He 
redeemed  us ;  now  He  comes  to  pour  out  upon  us  all  the 
riches  of  His  love ;  He  comes  to  give  us  light  to  know, 
and  strength  to  do  His  will;  He  comes  to  repair  what  i& 
decayed,  and  to  restore  what  is  wasted ;  to  forgive  re- 
bellion and  unthankfulness ;  in  a  word,  to  receive  us  as 
children ;  to  clothe  us  with  the  first  robe ;  to  put  a  ring 


FOR  COMMUNION.  101 

on  our  hands,  and  shoes  on  our  feet ;  to  eat  and  make 
merry  with  us. 

What,  then,  should  be  our  sentiments,  when  we  ap- 
proach our  Lord  in  this  mystery,  but  those  of  the  re- 
turning prodigal :  "  I  will  arise  and  will  go  to  my 
Father?"  And  when,  at  this  wonderful  banquet,  our 
good  Father,  Jesus  Christ,  falls  upon  our  necks  and 
gives  us  the  kiss  of  peace ;  when  He  feeds  us,  not  with 
the  fatted  calf,  but  with  His  own  most  precious  Flesh, 
what  has  the  soul  to  do  but  yield  to  His  loving  em- 
brace, and  to  say,  with  humble  gratitude :  "  O  Lord,  I 
am  not  worthy  !  I  am  not  worthy  to  be  called  Thy 
son  !"  Our  mistake  is  this  —  we  think  we  have  much 
tc  do,  and  we  have  but  little  to  do. 

I  have  already  said  that  habitual  fidelity,  even  in  the 
smallest  matters,  is  a  condition  for  our  receiving  special 
graces  in  this  Sacrament ;  but,  at  the  moment  of  Com- 
munion, what  is  chiefly  necessary,  is  a  great  confidence 
arising  from  a  deep  conviction  of  our  own  nothingness, 
and  from  a  sense  of  God's  exceedingly  great  goodness. 
He  comes  to  us  with  His  hands  full  of  graces;  we 
should  meet  Him  with  an  affectionate  desire  to  be 
united  to  Him,  and  a  hunger  and  thirst  for  His  justice. 
But,  perhaps,  you  will  say :  "  I  see  the  truth  of  what 
you  have  said ;  I  am  sure  that  a  great  desire  to  receive 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  best  disposition  for  approaching 
Him,  but  this  is  precisely  my  difficulty.  I  have  not 
this  desire ;  I  am  cold  and  dry  j  my  heart  is  dull  and 
sluggish.  I  go  to  Communion,  not,  indeed,  without  the 
wish  to  please  our  Lord,  but  with  little  fervor  or  affec- 


1 02  ON  PREPARA  TIOK 

tion  for  Him.  Our  Lord  Himself  has  given  the  reply 
to  this  difficulty.  He  said  one  day  to  St.  Mechtildis : 
"  When  thou  art  about  to  receive  My  Body  and  Blood, 
desire,  for  the  greater  glory  of  My  name,  to  have  all 
the  ardor  of  love  which  the  most  fervent  heart  ever 
had  for  Me,  and  then  thou  mayst  receive  Me  with  con- 
fidence, for  I  will  attribute  to  thee  as  if  thou  really 
hadst  it,  all  that  fervor  that  thou  desirest  to-  have." 
What  can  be  more  consoling  than  this?  You  have  no 
devotion,  but  you  can  wish  to  have  it.  You  do  not 
feel  all  the  respect  and  confidence  you  would  like  to 
feel,  but  your  wish  to  have  more  supplies  what  is  want- 
ing ;  you  have  no  humility,  but  you  can  humble  your- 
self for  your  pride;  you  have  no  love,  but  you  can  offer 
your  desire  to  love.  From  the  poor,  small  presents 
are  accepted.  Offer  what  you  have,  and  if  you  have 
nothing,  then  do  what  the  saints  recommend  —  say, 
"  Lord,  if  a  great  king  were  to  lodge  with  a  poor  man, 
he  would  not  expect  the  poor  man  to  make  a  suitable 
preparation,  but  would  send  his  own  servants  to  make 
ready  for  him ;  do  Thou  so,  O  Lord,  now  that  Thou 
art  coming  to  dwell  in  my  poor  heart ! "  This  alone 
will  be  an  excellent  disposition  for  receiving,  and  one 
very  pleasing  to  Jesus  Christ. 

One  day,  St.  Gertrude  went  to  receive  Holy  Com- 
munion without  being  sufficiently  prepared.  Being 
greatly  afflicted  at  this,  she  begged  the  Blessed  Virgin 
Mary,  and  all  the  Saints,  to  offer  up  to  God,  in  her 
behalf,  all  their  merits,  that  they  might  in  some  way 
supply  her  own  deficiency,  whereupon  our  Saviour  ap- 


FOR  COMMUNION.  103 

geared  to  her  and  said  :  "Now,  before  the  whole  heav- 
enly court,  thou  appearest  adorned  for  Communion  as 
thou  wouldest  wish  to  be." 

Comply,  then,  O  Christian,  with  that  which  Jesus 
Christ  requires  of  you.  Communicate,  but  communi- 
cate as  He  desires  that  you  should.  Do  not  be  content 
with  keeping  yourself  free  from  mortal  sin ;  make  war 
against  venial  sin  also,  at  least  those  which  are  fully 
deliberate;  for  though  venial  sins  do  not  extinguish 
love,  they  greatly  weaken  its  force  and  fervor.  Strive 
also  to  wean  your  heart  from  creatures;  endeavor  to 
mortify  your  attachment  to  honors,  riches,  and  pleas- 
ures ;  spare  no  trouble  for  the  sake  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven ;  practise  little  but  frequent  acts  of  self-denial ; 
keep  yourself  always  in  the  fear  of  God,  and  strive  to 
adorn  your  soul  with  the  virtues  which  Jesus  Christ 
especially  loves  —  humility,  meekness,  patience,  prayer, 
charity,  faith,  peace,  and  recollection.  On  the  eve  of 
your  Communion,  renew  your  good  resolutions ;  spend 
some  little  time  in  prayer ;  go  to  rest  with  the  thought, 
"  to-morrow  I  shall  receive  my  Saviour ; "  and  if  you 
awake  in  the  night,  think  of  the  great  action  you  are 
about  to  perform.  In  the  morning  make  again  acts  of 
love,  humility,  contrition  and  confidence,  and  then  go 
forward  to  the  altar  with  a  sincere  desire  to  love  and 
honor  Jesus  Christ  more  and  more.  Do  what  you  can, 
and  however  imperfect  that  may  be,  it  will  be  accept- 
able to  Jesus  Christ,  provided  He  sees  in  you  a  true 
desire  to  do  more.  By  such  Communions  you  will  gain 
the  precious  graces  which  are  imparted  by  this  Holy 


104  ON  PREPARATION  FOR  COMMUNION. 

Sacrament,  for  they  will  not  be  merely  Communions, 
but  real  unions  of  Jesus  Christ  with  your  soul. 

I  will  conclude  this  chapter  with  the  following  story : 
Father  Hunolt,  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  relates  that  two 
students  were  once  discoursing  together  about  the  hour 
of  their  death.  They  agreed  that,  if  God  would  allow 
it,  he  who  should  die  first  should  appear  to  the  other, 
to  tell  him  how  he  fared  in  the  other  world.  Shortly 
afterwards  one  of  them  died,  and  appeared  soon  after 
his  death  to  his  fellow-student,  all  shining  with  heav- 
enly brightness  and  glory,  and  in  answer  to  his  inqui- 
ries told  him  that  by  the  mercy  of  God  he  was  saved, 
and  was  in  possession  of  the  bliss  of  heaven.  The 
other  congratulated  him  on  his  felicity,  and  asked  him 
how  he  merited  such  unspeakable  glory  and  bliss : 
'"  Chiefly/'  said  the  happy  soul,  "by  the  care  with 
which  T  endeavored  to  receive  Holy  Communion  with 
a  pure  heart."  At  these  words  the  spirit  disappeared, 
leaving  in  his  surviving  friend  feelings  of  great  conso- 
lation, and  an  ardent  zeal  to  imitate  his  devotion.  "  If 
you  know  these  things,  blessed  shall  you  be  if  you  do 
them."1 

1  John  xiii.  17. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

ON  THANKSGIVING  AFTER  COMMUNION 

F  a  good  preparation  before  Communion  is  so 
important,  a  good  thanksgiving  after  Com- 
munion is  even  of  greater  importance.  St. 
John  Chrysostom  says,  that  when  a  person 
has  eaten  some  delicious  food  at  a  banquet,  he  is  care- 
ful not  to  take  anything  bitter  in  his  mouth  immedi- 
ately after,  lest  he  should  lose  the  sweet  flavor  of  those 
delicate  viands.  In  like  manner,  when  we  have  re- 
ceived the  precious  Body  of  Jesus  Christ,  we  should 
take  care  not  to  lose  its  heavenly  flavor  by  turning  too 
soon  to  the  cares  and  business  of  the  world. 

St.  Francis  de  Sales  expresses  the  same  idea.  "When 
the  merchants  of  India,"  he  says,  "have  brought  home 
their  precious  porcelain,  they  are  very  careful  in  con- 
veying it  to  their  store-houses  lest  they  should  stumble 
and  break  their  costly  wares.  In  like  manner  should 
the  Christian,  when  he  carries  the  priceless  treasure  of 
our  Lord's  Body,  walk  with  great  care  and  circum- 
spection, in  order  not  to  lose  the  costly  gift  committed 
to  his  keeping.  The  meaning  of  both  saints  is,  that 
after  Communion  we  should  spend  some  time  in  devout 

10" 


106  ON  THANKSGIVING 

recollection  and  prayer.  This  is  the  general  practice 
of  good  Catholics.  And,  indeed,  reason  itself  tells  us 
that  a  good  thanksgiving  after  Communion  is  even  of 
more  importance  than  a  good  preparation  before  it. 

If  we  are  required  to  pause  and  consider  what  we 
are  about  to  do  when  we  approach  our  Lord,  what 
should  be  our  devotion  when  He  is  actually  in  our 
hearts?  When  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary  visited  St. 
Elizabeth,  the  aged  saint  was  astonished  at  the  conde- 
scension of  the  glorious  Mother  of  God,  and  said: 
"  Whence  is  this  to  me,  that  the  Mother  of  my  God 
should  come  to  me?"  Now,  in  Holy  Communion,  it 
is  the  Lord  Himself  that  comes  to  us;  the  Eternal 
"  Wisdom  which  proceeded  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Most  High  ;  "  the  "  Lord  and  Prince  of  the  House  of 
Israel,  Who  appeared  to  Moses  in  the  burning  bush ; " 
the  "  King  of  nations  j  "  "  Emmanuel,"  "  our  King  and 
Lawgiver."  To  remain  indifferent,  after  having  re- 
ceived the  Blessed  Eucharist,  is  to  evince  either  a  total 
want  of  faith  or  a  levity  and  stupidity  unworthy  of  a 
reasonable  being.  What  a  spectacle  for  the  Angels,  to 
see  a  creature  approach  that  sacred  host  before  which 
they  bow  in  lowliest  adoration,  and  when  he  has  had 
the  unutterable  happiness  of  receiving  his  Redeemer, 
leave  the  church  with  as  much  unconcern  as  if  he  had 
but  partaken  of  ordinary  bread!  If,  indeed,  this 
should  be  done  by  one  who  has  had  no  opportunity  for 
receiving  instruction  on  this  subject,  no  doubt  the 
Angels  will  have  compassion  on  his  ignorance;  but, 
should  a  well-instructed  Catholic  be  gnilty  of  such  uu- 


AFTER  COMMUNION.  107 

grateful  behavior  towards  Jesus  Christ  after  Commun- 
ion, I  think  that  nothing  but  the  mercy  of  our  Lord 
would  prevent  them  from  avenging  the  impiety. 

St.  Alphonsus  relates  that  a  priest,  seeing  a  man 
leave  the  church  immediately  after  Communion,  sent 
the  servers  of  Mass,  with  lighted  candles,  to  accompany 
him  home.  "  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  asked  the  man  ; 
"  O,"  said  the  boys,  "  we  are  come  to  accompany  our 
Lord,  Who  is  still  present  in  your  heart/'  If  every 
one  who  follow/;  the  example  of  this  indevout  commu- 
nicant received  the  same  reproof,  the  scandal  of  going 
directly  from  the  altar  to  the  world  would  soon  cease. 
Although  the  greatness  of  our  Lord  is  a  sufficient 
reason  why  we  should  not  leave  Him  alone  in  our 
hearts  after  Communion,  it  is  not  the  argument  which 
He  Himself  employs.  There  is  in  this  Sacrament 
nothing  that  breathes  of  majesty.  Our  Lord  is  silent, 
whether  we  leave  the  church  immediately  or  kneel  and 
reverently  converse  with  Him.  The  stones  do  not  cry 
out  against  our  ingratitude,  if,  after  eating  the  Bread 
of  Angels,  we  do  not  give  thanks  to  God.  Jesus  Christ 
might  send  twelve  legions  of  angels  to  stand  around  us 
after  wTe  have  left  His  Table,  to  remind  us  that* He  is 
present  in  our  hearts ;  but  He  does  not  do  this.  Now 
it  is  from  this  very  fact  of  not  surrounding  Himself 
with  anything  calculated  to  inspire  fear,  that  we  ought 
to  draw  the  most  powerful  incentive  to  gratitude. 

This  Sacrament  is  a  Sacrament  of  love.  In  it  God 
is  pleased  to  treat  with  His  creatures  in  all  familiarity. 
Jesus  Christ,   having  accomplished   the  work  of  our 


108 


ON  TBANKSG1  VING 


Redemption,  draws  nigh  to  converse  with  us,  as  He 
did  to  the  two  disciples   on   their  way  to   Emmaus. 
He  wishes  to  speak  with  us  as  one  friend  speaks  to 
another.     O,  then,  what  an  affront  it  is  to  leave  Him 
the  moment  that  Pie  comes  to  us !     Scarcely  tc  say  one 
word  to  Him  !     Would  you  not  consider  it  great  un- 
kindness,  if  a  loving  friend  had  travelled  far  to  see  you, 
and  when  he  has  but  a  little  time  to  stay,  to  leave  him 
as  soon  as  he  had  entered  your  house,  and  go  to  attend 
to  your  business  or  to  seek  your  pleasure?     Would 
you  not  rather  give  him  the  best  welcome  you  could, 
and  prepare  the  best  room  in  your  house,  and  adorn  it 
with  your  richest  furniture;  would  you  not  sacrifice 
something  of  your  time  to  keep  him  company,  and  ex- 
change some  tokens  of  love  before  you  allowed  him  to 
depart?     Now,  should  you  not  do  as  much  for  Jesus 
Christ,  Who  has  come  so  far  to  visit  you,  Who  has 
suffered  so  many  sorrows  for  your  sake,  Who  is  think- 
ing of  you  always,  and  has  given  you  so  many  tokens 
of  His  love?     It  is  by  this  argument  that  Jesus  Christ 
Himself  prefers  to  incite  us  to  make  a  due  thanksgiving 
after   Communion,   and   it   is   one  which   must   have 
irresistible  weight  with  every  faithful   heart.     I  feel 
that  this  point  needs  no  further  proof —I  will  therefore 
pass  on  to  consider  the  manner  in  which  we  ought  to 
make  our  thanksgiving.     What  has  been  said  in  regard 
to  preparation  is,  of  course,  equally  true  here,   viz. : 
that  each  one  is  free  to  use  such  prayers  as  he  shall  find 
most  suited  to  his  devotion.     My  object  is  only  to  show 
in  what  a  good  thanksgiving  essentially  consists. 


AFTER   COMMUNION.  109 

Now,  it  consists  first,  in  completing  the  union  with 
»ur  Lord,  which  He  has  come  to  effect,  by  a  sincere 
ablation  of  ourselves  to  Him.     The  moment  of  Com- 
m.mion   is   different  from   any    other   moment  of  our 
lives.     Then  we  can  truly  exclaim,  my  God  and  my 
All!     When  we  communicate,  God  Himself  is  present 
in  our  little   hearts,  as   our  Friend  and  Bridegroom. 
Nothing  can  be  more  intimate  than  the  union  that  then 
takes  place  between  the  Creator  and  His  creatures.     It 
is  more  like  the  Incarnation  of  the  Eternal  Son  of  God 
in  the  womb  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary  than  anything 
else.     To  her  it  was  said,  "  The  Holy  Ghost  shall  come 
upon  thee,  and  the  power  of  the  Most  High  shall  over- 
shadow thee.     And  therefore  also,  the  Holy  One  which 
shall  be  born  of  thee  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God." 
And  the  same  Son  of  God,  the  Holy  One,  that  was 
born  of  the  spotless  Virgin,  comes  into  our  hearts  in 
the  Sacred  Host.     Think  of  all  that  is  most  beautiful 
and  most  precious  in  the  world,  of  all  the  riches  of  the 
whole  universe,  of  all  the  glory  of  heaven,  and  you 
have,  as  yet,  but  a  faint  idea  of  the  wealth  of  a  soul 
that  has  received  Holy  Communion ;  such  a  soul  pos- 
sesses not  only  earth  and  heaven,  but  the  Lord  and 
Maker  of  heaven  and  earth.     It  is  a  mystery  which 
almost  baffles  thought.     Certainly  God  can  never  cease 
to  be  what  He  is ;  He  can  never  cease  to  be  awful  in 
His  Greatness,  and  Infinite  in  His  Wisdom;  our  Ruler, 
our  King,  and  our  Judge;  but  in  this  Sacrament,  as  if 
He  had  nothing  to  think  of  but  the  soul  which  He 

fomes  to  visit,  He  lavishes  upon  her  all  the  riches  of 

1  c\ 


110  OjS  thanksgiving 

His  bounty,  and  reveals  Himself  to  her  in  no  other  bin 
the  most  amiable  and  most  humble  manner.  Perhaps 
it  is  for  this  reason  that  He  has  been  pleased  so  often 
to  manifest  Himself  as  an  Infant  in  the  Sacred  Host,  in 
order  to  show  us  how  small  He  has  become  for  love  of 
us,  and  to  take  away  from  us  all  fear.  Of  old  it  was 
said,  Magnus  Dominus  et  laudabilis  nimis.  "  Great  is 
the  Lord  and  exceedingly  to  be  praised;'7  but  now  we 
may  rather  say :  Parvus  Dominus  et  amabilis  nimis. 
"  Small  is  the  Lord  and  exceedingly  to  be  loved." 
Accordingly  we  find  from  the  expressions  of  the  saints, 
that  the  thought  which  possessed  their  souls  after  Com- 
munion, was  admiration  at  the  unutterable  love  of  God. 

St.  Mary  Magdalene  of  Pazzi  once  asked  a  pious 
person  after  Communion  what  she  was  thinking  of; 
"  of  love,"  was  her  reply.  "  Yes,"  rejoined  the  Saint, 
"  when  we  think  of  the  immense  love  of  Jesus  Christ 
for  us,  we  cannot  think  of  anything  else." 

It  is  related  of  Artaxerxes,  King  of  Persia,  that  when 
he  saw  Themistocles,  his  dearest  friend,  he  exclaimed, 
in  a  transport  of  joy:  "I  have  Themistocles,  Themisto- 
cles I  have!"  With  how  much  greater  joy  should  not 
the  soul  exclaim  after  Communion  :  "  I  have  my  Jesus, 
ray  Jesus  I  have !  I  have  found  Him  Whom  my  soul 
loves!  I  will  keep  Him,  and  not  leave  Him !"  It  is 
not,  however,  enough  to  wonder  at  our  Saviour's  love. 
Love  must  be  mutual  to  produce  union ;  and  we  must 
return  Him  love  for  love.  Now  is  the  time  to  repay 
Him  for  the  trials  and  tears,  the  shame  and  sorrow,  the 
contradiction  and   reproach   which   He  underwent  for 


AFTER  COMMUNION.  Ill 

the  ransom  of  our  souls.  They  were  already  His  by 
the  title  of  creation,  and  now  they  belong  to  Him  by 
the  title  of  Redemption.  We  must  make  to  Him  a 
childlike,  generous,  sincere,  and  complete  oblation. 
"  But  what,"  you  say,  "  have  I  to  offer  ?  I  am  poor 
and  indigent,  I  stand  in  need  of  everything,  what  can 
I  give  to  the  Lord,  Who  made  heaven  and  earth?"  I 
will  tell  you.  Imitate  ^Eschines,  a  disciple  of  Socrates, 
of  whom  Seneca  relates  that,  not  being  able,  on  account 
of  his  poverty,  to  make  such  rich  presents  to  his  master 
as  his  fellow-disciples  did,  he  went  out  and  said  to  him : 
"  Master,  my  extreme  poverty  leaves  me  nothing  to 
give  you  as  a  token  of  my  gratitude,  I  offer  you,  then, 
myself,  to  be  yours  forever."  "  Truly,"  said  Socrates, 
"  you  have  given  me  more  than  all  the  rest."  Act  thus 
with  Jesus  Christ.  You  have  no  treasure  to  offer  Him; 
you  have  no  station  to  renounce  for  Him ;  you  have  no 
occasion  to  die  for  Him ;  you  cannot  do  for  Him  what 
He  has  done  for  you,  but  you  can  give  Him  that  which 
He  values  more  than  anything  else — your  heart. 

There  is  nothing  that  gives  so  much  pleasure  to 
Jesus  Christ  as  a  heart  truly  resolved  to  serve  Him. 
Give  Him,  then,  this  pleasure ;  offer  yourself  to  Him, 
to  be  disposed  of  as  He  pleases;  to  receive  at  His  Hand 
bitter  and  sweet  indifferently;  to  serve  Him  with  all 
the  fervor  that  you  can;  to  avoid  sin  and  to  lead  a 
Christian  life.  Do  this,  and  then  your  Communion 
will  be  really  a  Communion,  that  is  to  say,  a  union 
with  God. 

To   receive   the  Body  of  Christ  is  common  to  the 


112  ON  THANKSGIVING 

good  and  the  bad,  but  it  is  the  good  alone  who  are 
truly  united  to  Him.  Are  you,  perhaps,  afraid  to 
make  such  promises  ?  "  It  is  easy,"  I  hear  you  say, 
"  to  make  an  offering  of  ourselves  to  Jesus  Christ,  but 
it  is  not  so  easy  to  carry  it  into  effect."  Oh,  Christian 
soul,  thou  dost  not  yet  understand  the  generosity  of 
love !  Did  not  our  Lord  ask  St.  James  and  St.  John 
whether  they  were  ready  to  drink  of  the  chalice  that 
He  would  drink  of,  before  He  actually  gave  them  the 
grace  of  Martyrdom  ?  Did  He  not  make  us  promise  to 
renounce  the  devil  and  his  works,  and  his  pomps,  and 
to  live  in  obedience  to  the  Christian  law  before  He 
adopted  us  as  His  children  in  Baptism  ?  We  must 
first  promise  much,  and  then  God  will  help  us  to  do 
much.  He  comes  into  our. hearts,  not  only  to  claim 
them  as  His  jwn,  but  to  give  us  grace  whereby  we 
may  truly  make  them  His.  After  we  have  made  an 
oblation  of  ourselves  to  Him,  then  we  must  immedi- 
ately proceed  to  beg  of  Him  the  grace  to  fulfil  that 
which  we  have  promised — and  this  is  the  second  jjart 
of  a  good  thanksgiving. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  petitioning  our  Lord  for 
special  graces  should  be  our  principal  occupation  after 
Communion.  "  The  time  after  Communion,"  says  St. 
Theresa,  "  is  the  best  time  for  negotiating  with  Jesus 
Christ,  for  then  He  is  in  the  soul,  seated,  as  it  were,  on 
a  throne  of  grace,  and  saying,  as  He  said  to  the  blind 
man:  "  What  wilt  thou  that  I  should  do  to  thee?" 
And  another  great  servant  of  God  says  that,  in  the  be- 
ginning of  his  conversion,  he  was  accustomed  to  employ 


AFTER  COMMUNION.  113 

the  time  after  Communion,  chiefly  in  making  devout 
aspirations,  but  that  afterwards  he  devoted  almost  the 
whole  time  to  petition,  which  he  found  more  profitable 
to  his  soul.  When  a  prince  goes  to  visit,  for  a  short 
time,  his  subjects  in  a  distant  province,  his  whole  time 
is  taken  up  in  hearing  their  complaints,  in  redressing 
their  grievances,  in  consoling  them  in  their  miseries, 
and  in  relieving  their  wants.  So,  Jesus  Christ,  our 
Heavenly  King,  comes  in  this  Sacrament  on  a  short 
visit  to  inquire  into  our  wants  and  to  relieve  them.  I 
say,  to  inquire  into  our  wants,  not  as  if  He  needed  to  be 
informed  of  them,  but  because,  as  St.  Alphonsus  says, 
He  wishes  that  we  should  lay  them  before  Him.  When 
the  storm  was  raging  on  the  sea  of  Tiberias,  our  Lord 
continued  to  sleep  in  the  ship,  although  He  knew  well 
the  danger  of  His  disciples.  Why  did  He  do  this?  It 
was  because  Pie  wished  that  they  should  awake  Him 
and  implore  His  aid.  Lay,  then,  before  Him  all  your 
troubles,  your  weaknesses,  your  fears  and  your  desires. 
Are  you  in  temporal  difficulties?  Hear  what  He 
has  said  :  "  What  man  is  there  among  you  of  whom,  if 
his  son  ask  bread,  will  he  reach  him  a  stone?  or  if  he 
ask  a  fish  will  he  reach  him  a  serpent?  If  you,  then, 
being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  to  your  chil- 
dren, how  much  more  will  your  Father  Who  is  in 
heaven,  give  good  things  to  them  that  ask  Him?"1  Do 
you  wish  to  subdue  your  passions  and  disorderly  affec- 
tions? Hear  what  He  has  said  :  "As  the  division  of 
waters,  so  the  heart  of  the  king  is  in  My  hands."2     If  ' 

1  St.  Matt.  vii.  9-  A.  a  Prov.  xxi.  1. 

10*  H 


114  ON  THANKSGIVING 

the  hearts  of  kings  are  like  wax  in  His  hands,  is  He 
not  able  to  change  your  heart  also  ?     Is  He  not  able  to 
convert  you   as  He  converted  the  prophet  David,  St. 
Mary   Magdalene,  St.  Paul,  St.  Margaret   of  Cortona, 
and  a  host  of  others?     Ask  Him,  then,  to  destroy  in 
you  what  is  bad,  and  to  make  you  what  you  wish  to 
be;  to  change  your  wavering  purposes  into  a  firm  reso- 
lution to  follow  His  example;  your  fear  of  self-disci- 
pline into  an  earnest  desire  to  advance  in  virtue  and 
holiness.     Ask  Him  to   change  your  dissipated  heart 
into  a  recollected  one ;  your  unmortified  heart  into  a 
mortified  one;   your  ambitious  heart  into   an   humble 
one;  your  faint  and  timid  heart  into  a  brave  and  cour- 
ageous  one;   your   irritable  and   peevish  heart  into  a 
mild  and  patient  one;  your  sinful  heart  into  a  holy  one. 
In  the  life  of  St.  Catharine  of  Sienna,  we  read  of  a 
wonderful  grace  that  she  received  from  our  Lord.     He 
took    out   her  heart  and  gave   her   Ms  in   its  place. 
Each  one  of  us  has  it  in  his  power  to  receive  a  grace 
somewhat  similar.     Let  us  only  ask  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and   He  will   transform  us,  as  it  were,  into   Himself. 
Pray  to  Him  for  humility,  for  patience,  for  meekness, 
for  contempt  of  the  world,  for  a  lively  faith,  a  firm 
hope,  ardent  charity;  for  brotherly  love,  for  love  of 
your  enemies,  for  the  prosperity  of  the  Church,  for  the 
conversion  of  sinners,  heretics,  and   infidels;    for  the 
souls  in  purgatory ;  for  devotion  to  His  Passion,  to  the 
Blessed  Sacrament,  to  His  Immaculate  Mother ;  for  the 
crowning  grace  of  perseverance;  and  He  will  give  you 
all,  for  His  arm  is  not  shortened  nor  His  Lovo  dimin- 


AFTER  COMMUNION.  115 

ished.  The  Sacrament  of  the  Eucharist  never  grows 
old ;  it  is  as  efficient  now  as  it  was  at  the  time  of  the 
Apostles.  There  is  nothing  necessary  to  your  true 
sanctity  that  your  Lord  is  unwilling  to  impart  to  you. 
H  you  are  diligent  in  asking  graces  of  Him  after  Com- 
munion ;  if  you  persevere  in  asking,  with  a  real  desire 
to  obtain,  you  will  infallibly  become  a  saint,  yea,  a 
great  saint. 

There  is  another  exercise  of  devotion  which  should 
form  part  of  your  thanksgiving  after  Communion.  I 
mean  Praise.  It  is  good  sometimes  to  rejoice;  it  en- 
larges thG  heart  and  gives  it  courage.  "  llejoice  in  the 
Lord  always,"  says  St.  Paul,  "and  again  I  say— Ke- 
joice! "  The  life  of  men  would  be  much  happier  than 
it  is  were  they,  with  a  lively  faith,  often  to  receive 
Holy  Communion.  Hoav  sorrowful  soever  you  may 
be  when  about  to  receive,  afterward  you  will  not  be 
without  consolation.  When  our  Divine  Saviour  en- 
tered the  temple,  the  little  children  cried  out:  "  Ho- 
sanna  to  the  Son  of  David !  "  and  shall  not  you  sing  a 
song  of  praise  when  He  comes  into  the  temple  of  your 
heart?  O,  how  much  should  you  rejoice!  How  great 
a  thing  it  is  to  be  a  Christian  !  "  Where  is  the  nation 
that  has  its  gods  so  nigh,  as  our  God  is  with  us? 
What  king  or  emperor  is  so  honored  as  the  faithful 
Catholic?  What  Angel  of  heaven  so  favored  as  the 
good  communicant?  ''Do  you  not  know,"  says  St. 
Paul,  "  that  you  are  temples  of  God  ?  "  "  Yes,  indeed, 
each  good  Catholic  is  a  true  Christopher,  that  is  to  say, 
a  carrier  of  Christ !  After  Communion,  he  carries  in 
his  heart  Jesus  Christ.  Lbf  Incarnate  Son  of  God. 


116  ON  THANKSGIVING 

"All  things  are  yours,"  says  St..  Paul;  "all  are 
yours  and  you  are  Christ's.'7  "  Exult  ye  who  live  in 
Sion  !  "  Why  should  you  take  life  so  hard,  and  com- 
plain of  your  crosses  and  trials,  and  be  so  impatient  in 
every  difficulty?  Why  should  you  envy  the  rich  of 
this  world,  the  great  and  the  honored?  Why  should 
you  vex  yourself  at  injuries  and  groan  in  adversity? 
Why  should  you  faint  at  the  thought  of  self-denial  and 
conflict?  Are  you  not  a  Catholic?  Have  you  not  the 
sweet  services  of  the  Church  to  soothe  you  and  her 
Sacraments  to  nourish  you;  her  benedictions  to 
strengthen  yon,  and  her  absolution  to  cleanse  you? 
Have  you  not  Mary  for  your  Mother,  and  the  Angels 
and  saints  for  your  Patrons  and  Protectors ;  and,  above 
all,  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  Jesus  for  your  Father? 
Oh !  my  soul,  rejoice  and  sing  a  song  unto  the  Lord. 
Alleluia  !  Praise  the  Lord,  ye  servants  of  God;  praise 
ye  the  name  of  the  Lord  from  henceforth,  now  and  for- 
ever. From  the  rising  of  the  sun  unto  the  going  down 
of  the  same,  the  name  of  the  Lord  is  worthy  of  praise. 
Who  is  as  the  Lord  our  God,  Who  dwelleth  on  high  and 
lookcth  down  on  the  low  things  in  heaven  and  on  earth ! 
Raising  up  the  needy  from  the  earth,  and  lifting  up  the 
poor  out  of  the  dunghill,  that  He  may  place  them  with 
princes,  with  the  princes  of  His  peop.  ;.  Alleluia ! 
Bless  the  Lord,  my  soul,  and  let  all  that  is  within  me 
bless  His  holy  name !  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and 
never  forget  all  He  has  done  for  thee;  Who  forgiveth 
all  thy  iniquities;  Who  healeth  all  thy  diseases;  Who 
redeemeth  thy  life  from  destruction;  Who  crowneth  thee 


AFTER  COMMUNION.  117 

wivvi  mercy  and  compassion;  Who  satisfieth  all  thy 
desires  with  good  things.  He  hath  not  dealt  with  thee 
according  to  thy  sins,  nor  rewarded  thee  according  to 
thy  iniquities  :  for,  according  to  the  height  of  heaven 
above  the  earth,  He  has  strengthened  His  mercy 
towards  them  that  fear  Him ;  and  as  far  as  the  West  is 
from  the  East,  so  far  hath  He  removed  our  iniquities 
from  us.  As  a  father  hath  compassion  on  his  children, 
so  hath  the  Lord  compassion  on  them  that  fear  Him. 
Bless  the  Lord,  all  ye  Angels ;  you  that  are  mighty  in 
strength  and  execute  His  word,  hearkening  to  the  voice 
of  His  orders.  O  my  soul,  bless  thou  the  Lord !  My 
soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord,  and  my  spirit  hath  rejoiced 
in  God  my  Saviour.  For  He  that  is  mighty  hath  done 
great  things  to  me :  and  Holy  is  His  name.  And  His 
mercy  is  from  generation  to  generation  to  them  that  fear 
Him.  He  hath  shown  might  in  His  Arm ;  He  hath 
scattered  the  proud  in  the  conceit  of  their  hearts ;  He 
hath  put  down  the  mighty  from  their  seat,  and  hath  ex- 
alted the  humble ;  He  hath  filled  the  hungry  with  good 
things,  and  the  rich  He  hath  sent  away  empty  ;  He  hath 
received  Israel  His  servant,  being  mindful  of  His  mercy. 
As  He  spoke  to  our  fathers,  to  Abraham  and  his  seed 
forever. 

Having  spoken  of  the  necessity  of  making  a  thanks- 
giving after  Communion,  and  shown  the  manner  in 
which  it  may  profitably  be  made,  I  must  say  a  few 
words  about  the  length  of  time  which  you  should  devote 
to  it.  Above  all  I  must  remark  that  I  have  no  inten- 
tion of  putting  your  conscience  under  any  law ;  in  this 


118  ON  THANKSGIVING 

point  you  are  altogether  free  to  consult  the  duties  of 
your  state  of  life,  or  even  your  inclinations.  I  know 
that  the  saints  desired  to  spend  their  life-time  in 
thanksgiving  after  Communion,  and  felt  a  kind  of  re- 
luctance to  attend  to  temporal  affairs  after  having  re- 
ceived the  Body  and  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the 
Holy  Eucharist.  Hence  in  the  Imitation  of  Christ, 
the  blessed  Thomas  a.  Kempis  complains  of  the  necessity 
of  eating,  drinking,  sleeping  and  attending  to  temporal 
affairs,  because  they  interrupted  his  converse  with  the 
Lord  and  Master  of  his  heart.  But  at  the  same  time, 
I  know  that  the  saints  never  allowed  their  prayers  to 
interfere  with  the  faithful  performance  of  the  duties  of 
their  state  of  life.  It  is  very  important  to  know  that 
true  devotion  does  not  consist  in  sacrificing  work  to 
prayer;  but  in  making  prayer  a  preparation  for  work, 
and  work  a  continuation  of  prayer.  Hence,  then,  your 
thanksgiving:  should  not  be  longer  than  the  duties  of 
your  state  of  life  will  permit.  Father  Avila  used  to 
spend  two  hours  in  thanksgiving  after  Mass,  even  when 
he  was  very  busy.  St.  Alphonsus  advises  every  one  to 
devote  at  least  half  an  hour  to  it,  if  it  is  at  all  possible. 
But  whatever  time  you  fix  upon,  do  not  imagine  that 
your  thanksgiving  is  at  an  end  when  you  leave  the 
church.  The  best  thanksgiving  is  to  cease  from  sin 
and  to  remain  united  with  God ;  your  half  hour's 
prayer  is  only  to  help  you  to  do  this.  You  cannot 
remain  always  in  the  church,  but  you  can  go  to  your 
business  with  a  recollected  mind.  You  cannot  always 
keep  your  prayer-book  and  beads  in  your  hands,  buf 


AFTER  COUMVXIOX.  119 

you  can  make  ejaculatoiy  prayer  to  God,  at  every  time 
and  in  every  place. 

It  is  said  of  St.  Aloysius  of  Gonzaga,  that  he  used  to 
receive  Communion  once  a  week,  and  that  he  was  ac- 
customed to  spend  three  days  in  preparation  before  it, 
and  three  days  in  thanksgiving  after  it.  How  did  he 
manage  to  do  this?  Was  he  all  the  time  prostrated 
before  the  Altar,  or  reading  a  spiritual  book?  Not  at 
all,  he  went  wherever  obedience  called  him,  quietly 
performing  his  duties  and  keeping  his  heart  lifted  up 
to  God.  Pie  offered  up  all  his  actions  to  Jesus  Christ 
by  way  of  thanksgiving ;  and  he  made  now  and  then 
some. short  acts  of  faith,  hope,  and  charity;  some  acts 
of  self-oblation,  or  admiration,  or  supplication.  By 
this  means,  the  angelic  youth  was  enabled  to  walk  con- 
tinually with  God ;  one  Communion  was  the  prepara- 
tion for  another,  thus  he  constantly  advanced  in  purity 
of  heart  and  in  love  for  Jesus  Christ.  Now,  every  one 
who  has  but  little  time  at  his  disposal  can  make  such  a 
thanksgiving  as  this ;  if  not  with  all  the  perfection  of 
St.  Aloysius,  at  least  with  great  fruit  and  consolation 
to  his  soul.  Every  one  can  offer  to  Jesus  Christ  the 
crosses  he  may  meet  with  during  the  day,  and  bear 
them  patiently  for  the  sake  of  Him  whom  he  wishes  to 
thank.  He  can  crush  the  movements  of  impatience, 
the  thought  of  vanity,  the  immodest  glance,  the  word 
of  bitterness,  the  laugh  of  folly,  the  look  of  pride.  He 
can,  for  the  love  of  the  good  Jesus,  be  just  and  true, 
pure  and  obedient,  pious  and  humble.  This  is  the 
way  to   honor  and  please  Jesus  Christ.     He  did  not 


J  20  ON  THANKSGIVING 

institute  this  adorable  Sacrament  to  give  us  a  little 
excitement  of  devotion,  but  to  make  us  holy.  "  I  have 
chosen  you/'  said  our  Lord,  "that  you  should  bring 
forth  fruits,  and  that  your  fruit  should  remain."  (i  In 
this  is  My  Father  glorified  that  you  bring  forth  very 
much  fruit." 

Make  then,  Christian  soul,  a  good  use  of  the  precious 
moments  after  Communion.  You  will  never  fully  un- 
derstand how  precious  they  are.  Nothing  will  cause 
you  more  confusion  after  death  than  the  little  account 
you  have  made  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  It  is  related 
in  the  Book  of  Esther,  that  one  night  when  the  King 
^ssuerus  could  not  sleep,  he  ordered  the  chronicles  of 
his  reign  to  be  read  to  him.  When  the  reader  came  to 
the  place  where  it  was  related  that  Mordachai,  the  Jew, 
had  once  crushed  a  wicked  plot  against  the  King's  life, 
Assuerus  asked  "  what  reward  had  Mordachai  received 
for  his  fidelity. "  "None  at  all,"  they  answered  him. 
Whereupon,  in  all  haste,  the  King  ordered  the  long 
delayed  acknowledgment  to  be  made  to  his  deliverer ; 
that  Mordachai  should  be  carried  in  procession  through 
the  streets  clothed  in  royal  apparel  and  crowned  with 
the  King's  crown,  and  seated  upon  the  King's  horse, 
and  that  it  should  be  proclaimed  before  all :  "  This  is 
the  honor  he  is  worthy  of,  whom  the  King  hath  a  mind 
to  honor." 

To  you  also,  my  dear  reader,  there  will  come  a  sleep- 
less night,  when  mortal  sickness  shall  tell  you  that  death 
is  near,  and  then  you  will  look  back  upon  your  life,  and 
see  many  benefits  for  which  you  have  made  no  acknowl- 


AFTER  COMMUNION.  12] 

edgment.  When  you  think  of  your  Communions  you 
will  say,  what  acknowledgment  have  I  made  to  my 
Deliverer  Who  has  so  often  saved  my  life  ?  When  the 
two  disciples  at  Ernmaus  understood  that  it  was  Jesus 
Who  had  been  with  them  by  the  way,  they  remem- 
bered how  their  hearts  had  burned  as  He  conversed 
with  them  •  so,  at  the  hour  of  death,  you  will  see  how 
precious  were  the  graces  you  received,  when  Jesus,  in 
the  Holy  Sacrament,  came  into  your  heart.  Your 
Communions  will  then  seem  to  have  been  the  greatest 
blessings  of  your  life.  The  world  will  have  disap- 
peared, friends  will  have  deserted  you,  all  your  past 
life  will  seem  to  have  been  a  dream;  but  the  moments 
when  you  received  your  Saviour  will  appear  to  you  in 
their  true  bearing  in  eternity.  What  regret  will  you 
not  then  feel  for  your  unfaithfulness !  How  earnestly 
will  you  desire  to  live  your  life  over  again  to  repair 
your  indevout  thanksgivings !  A  holy  nun,  who  had 
suffered  very  much  in  this  life,  appeared  after  her  death 
to  one  of  her  sisters  in  religion.  She  told  her  that  she 
would  willing! v  return  to  the  world  and  undergo  once 
more  all  the  pa  ins  she  had  suffered  here  on  earth,  pro- 
vided she  could  say  but  one  Hail  Mary,  because  by 
that  one  prayer  her  glory  and  joy  would  be  increased 
by  one  degree  for  all  eternity.1  If  the  blessed  in  heaven 
are  willing  to  do  so  much  for  one  Hail  Mary,  what 
would  they  not  do  for  one  Communion  ?  And  yet  they 
cannot  have  it.  It  is  the  privilege  of  mortals  alone  to 
feed  on  the  Flesh  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Holy  Eucha- 

1  P.  Michael  a  St.  Catharina.     Lib.  III.  Tract.  1G. 
11 


J  22  ON  THANKSGIVING 

list.  I  repeat,  then,  make  great  account  of  your  Com- 
munions. Do  now  what  you  will  wish  to  have  done 
at  the  hour  of  death.  Make  the  most  of  every  moment 
of  your  thanksgiving.  Pay  to  Jesus  Christ  all  the 
honor  that  you  possibly  can.  You  cannot  do  as  Assu- 
erus  did.  Jesus  Christ  is  great,  and  you  are  poor  aud 
miserable;  you  cannot  give  Him  royal  honor  —  you  can 
but  give  Him  the  tribute  of  an  humble  loving  heart. 
But  this  He  is  pleased  to  accept.  Offer  it  to  Him,  then, 
in  all  sincerity.  Converse  with  Him  reverently  and 
familiarly  whilst  you  have  Him  in  your  heart ;  try  to 
obtain  some  grace  from  Him  which  may  remain  after 
He  has  ceased  to  be  sacramentally  present  with  you, 
and  which  may  enable  you  to  make  your  next  Com- 
munion better.  Thus  you  will  live  always  united  with 
Jesus  Christ,  and  by  your  example  and  conversation 
you  will  edify  your  neighbor. 

St.  Veronica  Juliana  had,  even  at  the  age  of  three 
years,  a  great  devotion  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and 
it  is  related  of  her  that,  not  being  permitted  to  receive 
Communion,  she  used  to  come  very  close  to  her  mother 
after  she  had  communicated  and  cling  to  her  dress. 
One  day  her  mother  noticed  the  child  and  asked  hei 
why  she  thus  hung  around  her,  and  she  replied-- 
"  Mother,  you  taste  of  Jesus,  and  you  smell  of  Jesus ! " 
If  you,  too,  my  reader,  are  careful  to  make  a  good 
thanksgiving,  you  will  carry  with  you  a  sweet  odor  of 
sanctity,  and  angels  and  good  Christians  will  love  to 
keep  you  company.  You  will  advance  in  virtue  and 
happiness  here,  and   what  is  more,  hereafter.     When 


AFTER  COMMUNION.  123 

the  tepid  and  indifferent  will  be  lamenting  in  a  bitter 
Purgatory  their  negligent  thanksgivings,  or  will  be 
cursing  them  in  Hell  as  the  first  steps  to  mortal  sin, 
you  will  be  blessing  the  retired  and  mortified  life  which 
left  you  time  to  love  and  honor  your  Saviour.  Nay, 
even  this  is  not  all,  for  your  most  bountiful  Saviour 
will  reward  the  little  honor  you  have  paid  Him  by  a 
great  and  royal  recompense.  He  will  do  far  more  for 
you  than  Assuerus  did  for  Mordechai.  He  will  cause 
you  t)  be  honored  by  all  the  angels  and  saints  in 
heave: l;  clothe  you  in  royal  attire  and  "confess  your 
name  before  His  Father,"  as  He  promised  when  He 
said:  *' Whosoever  shall  glorify  Me,  him  will  I  glo- 
rify!' 

1  1  Kings  ii.  30. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

ON  THE  EFFECTS  OF  HOLY  COMMUNION. 

AM  sure,  dear  reader,  that  if  you  would  once 
begin  the  practice  of  frequent  Communion,  in 
order  to  please  our  Lord,  you  would  continue 
it  in  order  to  please  yourself.  I  will  now 
proceed  to  make  good  this  assertion  by  showing  tli€ 
great  and  admirable  effects  which  this  Bread  of  the 
Strong  produces  in  the  soul.  First,  it  confers  an  in- 
crease of  sanctifying  grace.  The  life  of  the  soul  con- 
sists in  its  being  in  a  state  of  acceptance  or  friendship 
with  God,  and  that  which  renders  it  acceptable  to  God 
is  sanctifying  grace.  This  grace,  which  was  merited 
for  us  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  is  infused  into  the  soul 
by  the  Holy  Ghost  through  the  Sacraments ;  but  each 
Sacrament  does  not  confer  it  in  the  same  manner.  Bap- 
tism and  Penance  bestow  it  upon  those  who  are  entirety 
out  of  the  grace  of  God,  or  in  other  words,  are  spirit 
ually  dead;  Baptism  being  the  means  appointed  for 
those  who  have  never  been  in  the  grace  of  God,  and 
Penance  for  those  who  have  lost  it.  These  Sacraments 
are,  therefore,  called  Sacraments  of  the  dead,  as  being 
instituted  for  the  benefit   of   those  who  are  in  mortal 

124 


ON  THE  EFFECTS  OF  HOLY  COMMUNION.         125 

sin  or  dead  to  grace.  When  these  Sacraments  are  re- 
ceived with  the  right  dispositions,  they  truly  reconcile 
the  sinner  with  God,  so  that,  from  being  an  enemy  of 
God,  He  becomes  His  friend,  and  an  object  of  His  com- 
placency. But  this  acceptance,  though  true  and  real, 
is  not  in  the  highest  degree ;  it  admits  of  an  increase, 
as  the  Holy  Scripture  says  :  "  Let  him  that  is  just  be 
justified  still;  and  let  him  that  is  holy  be  sanctified 
still ;"  and,  therefore,  God  appointed  the  other  Sacra- 
ments, the  Sacraments  of  the  living,  not  only  to  convey 
special  graces  peculiar  to  each,  but  to  impart  an  increase 
of  sanctifying  grace  to  those  who  are  already  in  His 
favor.  A  rich  man,  when  he  has  taken  possession  of  a 
field  which  he  wishes  to  convert  into  a  garden,  is  not 
content  with  putting  a  Avail  around  it,  and  clearing  it 
of  the  most  noxious  weeds,  and  setting  it  in  good  order, 
but  he  continues  to  cultivate  it  assiduously;  to  fill  it 
with  the  most  beautiful  plants,  and  to  embellish  it  with 
new  and  choice  ornaments.  Thus  Almighty  God,  in 
His  love  and  goodness,  has  multiplied  means  by  which 
the  soul  may  be  enriched  with  the  graces  and  merits  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  become  more  and  more  agreeable  and 
beautiful  in  His  eyes. 

Now,  among  all  these  means,  there  is  none  greater  r»r 
more  powerful  than  the  Blessed  Eucharist.  Each  time 
that  Ave  receive  our  Saviour  in  Holy  Communion,  Ave 
participate  anew  in  all  the  merits  of  His  Redemption, 
of  His  poverty,  Plis  hidden  life,  His  scourging,  and 
His  crowning  with  thorns.     The  Holy  Eucharist,  then, 

differs  from  the  other  Sacraments  in  this,  that  while  the 
*11 


12fi  ON  THE  EFFECTS 

other  Sacraments  bestow  upon  us  one  or  another  of  the 
fruits  of  Christ's  merits,  this  gives  us  the  gra^  and 
merits  of  our  Saviour  in  their  source.  The  soul,  there- 
fore, receives  an  immense  increase  of  sanctifying  grace 
at  each  Communion. 

Dear  Christian,  let  us  reflect  upon  this  for  a  moment, 
It  is  no  slight  thing  for  a  soul  to  be  beautiful  in  the 
sight  of  God.  That  must  needs  be  something  great  and 
precious  which  can  render  us,  sinful  creatures  as  we  are, 
truly  amiable  before  God.  What  must  be  the  value  of 
sanctifying  grace  which  can  work  such  a  transftmua- 
tion?  What  is  it?  and  who  can  declare  its  price?  St. 
Thomas  tells  us,  that  the  lowest  degree  of  sanctifying 
grace  is  worth  more  than  all  the  riches  of  the  world. 
Think,  then,  of  all  the  riches  of  this  world !  The 
mines  of  gold,  of  precious  stones,  the  forests  of  costly 
wood,  and  all  the  hidden  stores  of  wealth,  for  the  least 
of  which  treasures  the  children  of  this  world  are  will- 
ing to  toil,  and  struggle,  and  sin  for  a  whole  life-time„ 
Again,  consider  that  the  lowest  grace  which  an  humble 
Catholic  Christian  receives  at  the  rails  of  the  sanctuary 
at  dawn  of  day,  before  the  great  world  is  astir,  out- 
weighs all  those  riches. 

But  why  do  I  draw  my  comparison  from  the  things 
of  this  world  ?  St.  Theresa,  after  her  death,  appeared 
to  one  of  her  sisters  in  religion,  and  told  her  that  all 
the  saints  in  heaven,  without  exception,  would  be  will- 
ing to  come  back  to  this  world  and  to  remain  here  till 
the  end  of  time,  suffering  all  the  miseries  to  which  our 
mortal  state  is  subject,  only  to  gain  one  more  degree  of 


OF  HOLY  COMhCNWN.  127 

bJ>  ictif)  .ng  grace  and  the  eternal  glory  corresponding  to 
it.  Nay,  I  even  assert,  that  all  the  devils  in  hell  would 
consider  all  the  torments  of  their  dark  abode,  endured 
for  millions  upon  millions  of  ages,  largely  recompensed 
by  the  least  degree  of  that  grace  which  they  have  once 
rejected.  These  thoughts  give  us  a  grand  and  sublime 
idea  of  the  value  of  grace ;  but  there  is  another  con- 
sideration that  ought  to  raise  our  estimate  of  it  still 
higher,  namely,  that  God  Himself,  the  Eternal  Son  of 
the  Father,  came  down  upon  earth,  was  made  man,  suf- 
fered and  died  the  death  of  the  cross  in  order  to  pur- 
chase it  for  us.  His  life  is  in  some  way  the  measure 
of  its  value. 

Now,  this  sanctifying  grace  is  poured  upon  us,  in 
Holy  Communion,  in  floods !  The  King  of  heaven  is 
then  present  hi  our  souls,  scattering  profusely  His 
benedictions,  and  making  us  taste  of  the  powers  of  the 
world  to  come.  O,  if  any  one  of  us  were  to  see  his 
own  soul  immediately  after  Communion,  how  amazed 
and  confounded  would  he  not  be  at  the  sight  of  it.  He 
would  take  it  for  an  Angel. 

St.  Catherine  of  Sienna,  having  been  asked  by  her 
confessor  to  describe  to  him  the  beauty  of  a  soul  in  a 
state  of  grace,  as  it  had  been  revealed  to  her,  replied: 
"  The  beauty  and  lustre  of  such  a  soul  is  so  great,  that 
if  you  'yere  to  behold  it,  you  would  be  willing  to 
endure  all  possible  pains  and  sufferings  for  its  sake." 
Need  we  wonder,  then,  that  the  Angels  loved  to  keep 
company  with  those  saints  on  earth,  who,  every  day, 
with  great  devotion,  received  Holy  Communion  ;  and 


128  ON  THE  EFFECTS 

that  even  the  faces  of  those  who  have  been'  ardent 
lovers  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament  have  sometimes  shone 
with  the  glory  with  which  they  were  filled?  Does  not 
Christ  say  of  such  a  soul :  "  How  beautiful  art  thou, 
My  beloved!  how  beautiful  art  thou?"  What  great 
value  should  we  then  not  set  on  this  Divine  Sacra- 
ment ?  At  each  Communion  we  gain  more  and  more 
upon  what  is  bad  in  our  hearts ;  we  bring  God  more 
and  more  into  them,  and  we  come  nearer  to  that  heav- 
enly state  in  which  they  shall  be  altogether  "without 
spot  or  wrinkle/'  holy  and  without  blemish.  Should 
we  not,  then,  esteem  this  wonder-working  Sacrament 
more  than  anything  else  in  this  world?  Ought  we  not 
continually  give  thanks  to  God  for  so  great  a  blessing, 
and,  above  all,  show  our  thankfulness  by  receiving  it 
frequently  and  devoutly  ?  I  leave  it  to  you,  O  Chris- 
tian soul,  to  answer  what  I  have  said.  I  will  not  dwell 
longer  on  this  point;  reflect  and  act  accordingly.  I 
must  pass  on  to  explain  some  of  the  other  wonderful 
effects  of  this  precious  Sacrament. 

The  benefit  to  be  derived  from  Holy  Communion, 
which  I  will  notice  in  the  second  place,  consists  in  this, 
that  we  are  thereby  preserved  from  mortal  sin.  In 
like  manner,  as  the  body  is  continually  in  danger  of 
death  by  reason  of  the  law  of  decay  which  works  un~ 
ceasingly  within  us,  so,  in  like  manner,  the  life  of  the 
soul  is  constantly  in  jeopardy  from  that  fearful  prone- 
ness  to  sin  which  belongs  to  our  fallen  nature.  Accord- 
ingly, as  Almighty  God,  in  His  Wisdom,  has  ordained 
natural  food  as  the  means  of  repairing  the  decay  of  the 


OF  HOLY  COMMUNION.  129 

b*<ly  and  of  warding  off  death,  so  has  He  seen  fit  to 
give  us  a  spiritual  and  heavenly  food  to  keep  us  from 
falling  into  mortal  sin  which  causes  the  death  of  the 
soul.  This  food  is  the  Holy  Eucharist,  as  the  Council 
of  Trent  teaches  us,  saying  that  the  Sacrament  of  the 
Eucharist  is  "  the  antidote  by  which  we  are  freed  from 
daily  faults  and  preserved  from  mortal  sins."  And 
hence  St.  Francis  de  Sales  compares  Holy  Communion 
to  the  Tree  of  Life  which  grew  in  the  midst  of  the 
garden  of  Paradise,  saying  that,  u  as  our  first  parents, 
by  eating  of  that  tree,  might  have  avoided  the  death  of 
the  body,  so  we,  by  feeding  on  this  Sacrament  of  Life, 
may  avoid  the  death  of  the  soul." 

Do  you  ask  how  the  Blessed  Sacrament  preserves  us 
from  mortal  sin  ?  I  reply  :  In  two  ways ;  by  weaken- 
ing our  passions,  and  by  protecting  us  against  the 
assaults  of  the  devil.  Every  one  has  some  besetting 
sin,  some  passion  which  is  excited  in  his  heart  more 
easily  and  more  frequently  than  any  other,  and  which 
is  the  cause  of  the  greater  part  of  his  faults.  In  some, 
it  is  anger ;  in  others,  envy ;  in  others,  pride ;  in  others, 
sensuality  and  impurity.  Now,  however  weak  one  may 
be,  and  by  whatsoever  passion  he  may  be  agitated,  let 
him  frequently  receive  the  Body  of  Christ,  and  his  soul 
will  become  tranquil  and  strong.  The  saints  would 
express  this  by  saying  that,  as  the  waters  of  the  Jordan 
stood  back  when  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  came  into 
the  river,  so  our  passions  and  evil  inclinations  are 
repelled  when  Jesus  Christ  enters  into  our  hearts  in 
Holy  Communion.     St.  Bernard  says:  "If  we  do  not 

T 


130  ON  THE  EFFECTS 

experience  so  frequent  and  violent  attacks  of  anger, 
envy  and  concupiscence  as  formerly,  let  us  give  thanks 
to  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  Who  has  pro- 
duced these  effects  in  us."  Accordingly,  in  the  Thanks- 
giving which  the  Church  has  provided  to  be  used  by 
the  priest  after  the  celebration  of  Mass,  there  is  a 
prayer  for  imploring  God  that,  in  like  manner,  as  the 
holy  martyr  St.  Lawrence  overcame  the  torments  of 
fire,  the  soul,  which  has  been  fed  with  this  Bread  of 
Heaven,  may  be  enabled  to  extinguish  the  flames  of 
sin.  There  are  thousands  of  cases  which  attest  the 
efficacy  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament  in  this  respect. 

In  Ferrara  there  lived  a  man  who,  in  his  youth,  was 
very  much  molested  with  temptations  of  the  flesh  to 
which  he  too  often  gave  consent,  and  thus  committed 
many  mortal  sins.  To  free  himself  from  this  miserable 
state  he  determined  to  marry ;  but  his  wife  died  very 
soon  and  he  was  again  in  danger.  He  was  not  disposed 
to  marry  again ;  but  to  remain  a  widower  was,  he 
thought,  to  expose  himself  anew  to  his  former  tempta- 
tions. In  this  emergency  he  consulted  a  good  friend 
and  received  the  advice  to  go  frequently  to  confession 
and  Holy  Communion.  He  followed  this  advice,  and 
experienced  in  himself  such  extraordinary  effects  of  the 
Sacrament  that  he  could  not  help  exclaiming  :  "  O,  why 
did  I  not  sooner  meet  with  such  a  friend !  Most  cer- 
tainly I  would  not  have  committed  so  many  abominable 
sins  of  impurity  had  I  more  frequently  received  this 
Raorament    which    maketh    virgins."1 

In  the  life  of  St.  Philip  Neri,  we  read   that  one  day 

:  Bftlcksanus  in  Skim.  Vkt,  I.  e.  ft. 


OF  110  L  Y  GO  MM  UNI  ON.  131 

a  \  mg  man  who  was  leading  a  very  impure  life,  came 
to  tre  saint  to  confession.  St.  Philip,  knowing  that 
there  was  no  better  remedy  against  concupiscence  than 
the  most  sacred  Body  of  Jesus  Christ,  counselled  him  to 
frequent  the  Sacraments.  By  this  means  he  was,  in  a  short 
lime,  entirely  freed  from  his  vicious  habits  and  became 
pure  like  an  angel.  O !  how  many  souls  have  made 
the  same  experience !  Ask  any  Christian  who  has  once 
lived  in  sin  and  afterwards  truly  amended,  from  what 
moment  he  began  to  get  the  better  of  his  passions,  and 
he  will  answer,  from  the  moment  that  he  began  to  fre- 
quent the  Sacraments.  How  should  it  be  otherwise? 
Jesus  calms  the  winds  and  seas  by  a  single  word.  What 
storm  will  be  able  to  resist  his  power  ?  What  gust  of 
passion  will  not  subside  when,  on  entering  the  soul,  He 
says:  "Peace  be  with  thee;  be  not  afraid;  it  is  I!" 
The  danger  of  mortal  sin,  however,  arises  not  only  from 
the  strength  of  our  passions,  but  also  from  the  violence 
of  the  temptations  with  which  the  devil  assails  us ;  and 
against  these,  too,  the  Blessed  Sacrament  protects  us. 

When  Ramirus,  King  of  Spain,  had  been  fighting  a 
long  time  against  the  Saracens,  he  retired  with  his 
soldiers  to  a  mountain  to  implore  the  assistance  of  Al- 
mighty God.  Whilst  at  prayer,  St.  James  the  Apostle 
appeared  to  him  and  commanded  him  to  make  all  his 
soldiers  go  to  Confession  and  Communion  the  day  fol- 
lowing, and  then  to  lead  them  out  against  their  enemies. 
After  all  had  been  done  that  the  Saint  commanded,  they 
again  had  an  engagement  with  the  Saracens,  and  gained 
a  complete  and  brilliant  victory.' 

'  Chroo.  Qea.  Alpbcro.  Reg. 


132  ON  THE  EFFECTS 

How  much  more,  in  our  conflict  with  the  devil,  shall 
we  not  be  enabled,  by  means  of  Holy  Communion,  to 
put  him  to  flight  and  cover  him  with  shame  and  con- 
fusion !  St.  Thomas  says  :  "  Hell  was  subdued  by  the 
death  of  our  Saviour,  and  the  Blessed  Sacrament  of 
the  Altar  being  a  mystical  renewal  of  the  death  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  devils  no  sooner  behold  His  Body  and  Blood 
in  us,  than  they  immediately  take  to  flight,  giving  place 
to  the  angels  who  draw  nigh  and  assist  us."  St.  John 
Chrysostom  says  :  "  As  the  angel  of  destruction  passed 
by  all  the  houses  of  the  Israelites  without  doing  them 
any  harm,  because  he  found  them  sprinkled  with  the 
blood  of  the  lamb,  so  the  devil  passes  by  us  when  he 
beholds  within  us  the  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Lamb 
of  God."  And  St.  Ambrose  says  :  "  When  thy  adver- 
sary shall  see  thy  habitation  taken  up  with  the  bright- 
ness of  the  presence  of  God  in  thy  soul,  he  departs  and 
flies  away,  perceiving  that  no  room  is  left  for  his  temp- 
tations. 

O !  how  often  has  it  happened  that  souls  were  so 
dreadfully  tormented  by  the  evil  representations,  sug- 
gestions and  temptations  of  the  devil,  as  not  to  know 
what  to  do !  But  no  sooner  had  they  received  Holy 
Communion  than  they  became  at  once  quite  calm  and 
peaceful !  Read  the  life  of  any  of  the  saints,  and  you  will 
find  instances  of  this ;  or  ask  any  devout  Catholic,  and 
he  will  tell  you  that  what  I  have  asserted  is  but  reality. 
Nay,  the  devil  himself  must  confess  and  has  often  con- 
fessed this  truth.  If  he  were  forced  to  say  why  it  is 
that  h.3  cannot  tempt  such  and  such  a  soul  oftener  and 


OF  HOL  Y  COM  M  UNION.  1 3# 

more  violently,  why"  it  is  that,  to  his  own  shame  and 
eon  fusion,  he  is  forced  to  withdraw  so  often  from  a  soul 
which  once  he  held  in  his  power,  what  do  you  think  he 
would  answer  ?     Hear  what  he  once  answered. 

A  person  whom,  by  a  special  permission  of  God,  he 
was  allowed  to  harass  very  much  and  even  drag  about 
on  the  ground,  was  exorcised  by  a  priest  of  our  Con- 
gregation and  the  devil  was  commanded  to  say  whether 
or  not  Holy  Communion  was  very  useful  and  profitable 
to  the  soul.  At  the  first  and  second  interrogatory  he 
would  not  answer,  but  the  third  time,  being  commanded 
in  the  name  of  the  blessed  Trinity,  he  replied  with  a 
howl :  "  Profitable  !  Know  that  if  this  person  had  not 
received  Holy  Communion  so  many  times,  we  should 
have  had  her  completely  in  our  power."  Behold,  then, 
our  great  weapon  against  the  devil !  "  Yes,"  says  the 
great  St.  John  Chrysostom,  "after  receiving  the  Body 
and  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Holy  Eucharist,  we 
become  as  terrible  to  the  devil  as  a  furious  lion  is  to 
man." 

When  the  King  of  Syria  went  out  to  take  the  prophet 
Eliseus  captive,  the  servant  of  the  man  of  God  was  very 
much  afraid  at  seeing  the  great  army  and  the  horses 
and  chariots,  and  he  said:  "Alas!  alas!  alas!  my 
Lord;  what  shall  we  do?"  But  the  prophet  said: 
"  Fear  not ;  for  there  are  more  with  us  than  with  them ; " 
and  then  he  showed  the  trembling  servant  how  the 
whole  mountain  was  full  of  angels  ready  to  defend 
them,  So,  however  weak  we  may  be,  and  however 
powerful  our  enemies,  fortified  with  the  Bread  of 
12 


i34  ON  THE  EFFECTS 

Heaven,  we  have  no  reason  to  fear :  we  are  stronger 
than  hell,  for  God  is  with  us.  "  The  Lord  ruleth  me, 
I  shall  want  nothing.  Though  I  should  walk  in  the 
midst  of  the  shadow  of  death,  I  fear  no  evils,  for  Thou 
art  with  me.  Thou  hast  prepared  a  table  before  me 
against  them  that  afflict  me." 

In  concluding  this  point,  let  me,  then,  once  more 
address  to  you,  dear  Christian,  the  words  of  exhorta- 
tion. With  what  justice  does  not  St.  Francis  de  Sales 
appeal  to  yon,  saying :  "  O  Philothea,  what  reply  shall 
reprobate  Christians  be  able  to  make  to  the  reproaches 
of  the  just  Judge,  for  having  lost  His  grace  when  it 
was  so  easy  to  have  preserved  it  ? "  If  the  means  of 
avoiding  sin  had  been  very  difficult,  the  case  of  the 
reprobate  might  seem  hard,  but  who  can  pity  him  who 
has  but  to  obey  the  easy  command  :  "  Take  and  eat, 
if  any  man  shall  eat  of  this  bread  he  shall  live  for- 
ever." For  a  Catholic  to  fall  into  mortal  sin  is  as  if 
one  should  starve  at  a  splendid  banquet;  and  for  a 
Christian  to  die  in  the  power  of  the  devil,  is  to  be  in 
love  with  death. 

But  there  are  other  riches  in  this  Blessed  Sacrament 
which  remain  to  be  unfolded.  It  not  only  increases  in 
us  sanctifying  grace  and  preserves  us  from  mortal  sin, 
but  it  truly  unites  us  to  God,  and  this  is  the  third  effect 
of  this  Holy  Sacrament.  The  most  obvious  sense  in 
which  this  Sacrament  is  said  to  unite  us  to  God,  is  that 
which  is  suggested  by  the  doctrine  of  the  Real  Presence 
itself.  In  the  Holy  Eucharist  we  receive  the  very 
Body  and  Blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  as  members  of 


OF  HOLY  COMMUNION.  135 

die  same  family  are  united  together  by  the  ties  of  the 
common  blood  which  flows  in  their  veins,  so  we  become 
truly  kinsmen  of  Christ,  by  participation  of  the  Blood 
which  He  received  from  His  most  Holy  Mother,  and 
shed  on  the  Cross  for  us.  Hence,  St.  Alphonsus  says, 
"  that  as  the  food  we  take  is  changed  into  our  blood,  so, 
in  Holy  Communion,  God  becomes  one  with  us ;  with 
this  diiference,  however,  that,  whereas  earthly  food  is 
changed  into  our  substance,  we  assume,  as  it  were,  the 
nature  of.  Jesus  Christ  as  He  Himself  declared  to  St. 
Augustine,  saying,  "  It  is  not  I  that  shall  be  changed 
into  you,  but  you  shall  be  changed  into  me."  "  Yes," 
says  St.  Cyril  of  Alexandria,  "he  who  communicates 
unites  himself  as  closely  to  Jesus  Christ,  as  two  pieces 
of  wax,  when  melted,  become  one."  And  the  Saints 
have  always  been  so  penetrated  with  this  belief  that, 
after  Holy  Communion,  they  would  exclaim  :  "  O  Jesus ! 
now  Thou  art  mine  and  I  am  Thine  !  Thou  art  in  me, 
and  I  am  in  Thee !  Now  Thou  belongest  entirely  to 
me,  and  I  belong  entirely  to  Thee.  Thy  soul  is  mine, 
and  my  soul  is  Thine!  Thy  life  is  mine,  and  my  life 
is  Thine!" 

But  this  is  not  all.  We  are  united  to  our  Lord's  sa- 
cred Humanity  in  order  that  we  may  be  made  conform- 
able to  His  image  in  will  and  aifections ;  accordingly, 
in  the  Eucharist,  we  receive  from  Him  infused  virtues, 
especially  faith,  hope  and  charity,  the  three  distinguish- 
ing characteristics  of  the  children  of  God. 

As  to  faith,  it  is  so  much  increased  by  Communion 
that  this  Sacramert  might  be  called  the  Sacrament  of 


136  ON  TILE  EFFECTS 

Faith ,  not  only  because  it  makes  as  large  a  demand  on 
our  faith  as  any  mystery  of  our  Holy  Religion,  but 
also  because  It  more  than  any  other  increases  and  con- 
firms it.  It  seems  as  if  God,  in  reward  of  the  generous 
faith  with  which  we  believe  this  doctrine  often  gives  an 
inward  light,  which  enables  the  soul  in  some  way  to 
comprehend  it,  and  with  it  the  other  truths  of  faith. 
So  the  Council  of  Trent  says,  "  that  the  mode  of  Christ's 
presence  in  the  Eucharist  can  hardly  be  expressed  in 
words,  but  the  pious  mind,  illuminated  by  faith,  can 
conceive  of  it."  The  reception  of  this  Sacrament  is 
the  best  explanation  of  the  difficulties  which  sense  op- 
poses to  it.  It  was  in  the  breaking  of  bread  at  Emmaus 
that  the  two  disciples  recognized  Jesus.  He  Himself 
gives  us  evidence  of  the  reality  of  the  Divine  Presence 
in  this  heavenly  food,  and  makes  us  taste  what  we  do 
not  understand.  One  day  a  holy  soul  said  to  Father 
Surin,  of  the  Society  of  Jesus :  "  I  would  not  exchange 
a  single  one  of  the  divine  communications  which  I  re- 
ceive in  Holy  Communion,  for  anything  whatever  men 
or  angels  might  present  to  me." 

Sometimes  God  adds  to  these  favors  the  gift  of  a 
spiritual  joy  and  delight,  intense  and  indescribable. 
St.  Thomas  says,  "that  Holy  Communion  is  a  spiritual 
eating,  which  communicates  an  actual  delischt  to  such 
souls  as  receive  it  devoutly  and  with  due  preparation." 
And  the  effect  of  this  delight,  according  to  St.  Cyprian, 
is  that  it  detaches  the  heart  from  all  worldly  pleasures, 
and  makes  it  die  to  everything  perishable.  Nay,  this 
joy  is  sometimes  even   communicated  to  the   exterior 


OF  HOLY  COMA! UNION.  137 

,^nses,  penetrating  them  with  a  sweetness  so  great  that 
nothing  in  the  world  can  be  compared  to  it.  St. 
Francis,  St.  Monica,  St.  Agnes  and  many  others  are 
witnesses  of  this,  who,  intoxicated  with  celestial  sweet- 
ness in  Holy  Communion,  exulted  for  joy  and  ex- 
claimed with  the  psalmist:  "My  heart  and  my  flesh 
have  rejoiced  in  the  living  God.  For  what  have  I  in 
heaven?  and  besides  Thee  what  do  I  desire  upon  earth? 
Thou  art  the  God  of  my  heart  and  the  God  that  is  my 
portion  forever.  My  Jesus,  my  Love,  my  God,  my 
All."  O  !  what  a  firm  faith  men  would  have  in  this 
mystery  did  they  communicate  often  and  devoutly! 
One  single  Communion  is  better  than  all  the  arguments 
of  the  schools.  We  have  not  a  lively  faith,  we  think 
little  of  Heaven,  of  Hell,  of  the  evil  of  sin,  of  the 
goodness  of  our  Lord  and  the  duty  of  loving  Him,  be- 
cause we  stay  away  from  Communion ;  let  us  eat  and 
our  eyes  shall  be  opened.  "Taste  and  see  that  the 
Lord  is  sweet." 

Hope,  also,  receives  a  great  increase  from  this  Sacra- 
ment, for  it  is  the  pledge  of  our  inheritance  and  has  the 
promise  of  eternal  life  attached  to  it.  "  He  who  eateth 
of  this  Bread  shall  live  forever.  He  who  eateth  My 
Flesh  and  drinketh  My  Blood  abideth  in  Me  and  I  in 
him.  As  the  Father  Who  liveth  sent  Me,  and  I  live 
by  the  Father,  so  he  that  eateth  Me  the  same  also  shall 
live  by  Me.  He  shall  never  hunger  or  thirst.  He 
shall  not  die,  but  have  life  everlasting,  and  I  will  raise 
him  up  on  the  last  day." l     St.  Paul  argues  that  "  if 

1  St.  John,  chap.  6. 

12* 


138  ON  THE  EFFECTS 

we  are  sons,  then  we  are  heirs,  heirs  indeed  of  God, 
and  joint  heirs  with  Christ :"  and  elsewhere  he  says, 
"  that  we  glory  in  hope  of  the  glory  of  God."  It  is 
true  that  in  this  life  we  can  never  have  an  infallible  as- 
surance of  our  salvation,  but  Holy  Communion  most 
powerfully  confirms  and  strengthens  our  hope  of  ob- 
taining Heaven  and  the  graces  necessary  for  living  and 
dying  holily.  However  great  the  fear  and  diffidence 
may  be  with  which  our  sins  inspire  us,  what  soul  is 
not  comforted  when  our  Saviour  Himself  enters  the 
heart  and  seems  to  say :  "  Ask  whatever  you  will  and 
it  shall  be  done  unto  you."  "Can  I  refuse  the  less 
Who  have  given  the  greater?  Can  I  withhold  any 
necessary  graces  Who  have  given  Myself?  Shall  I  re- 
fuse to  bring  you  to  reign  with  Me  in  Heaven,  Who 
am  come  down  on  earth  to  dwell  with  you  ? " 

Charity,  however,  is  the  virtue  which  is  more  espe- 
cially nourished  by  the  Holy  Eucharist.  This  may  be 
called,  by  eminence,  the  proper  effect  of  this  Sacra- 
ment, as  indeed  it  is  of  the  Incarnation  itself.  "I  am 
come  to  cast  fire  upon  the  earth,  and  what  will  I  but 
that  it  be  kindled ! " l  And  St.  Dionysius,  the  Areo- 
pagite,  says  that  "  Jesus  Christ  in  the  most  Holy  Eu- 
charist is  a  fire  of  charity."  It  could  not  be  otherwise. 
As  a  burning  house  sets  the  adjacent  ones  on  fire,  so  the 
Heart  of  Jesus  Christ  which  is  always  burning  with 
love,  communicates  the  flames  of  charity  to  those  who 
receive  Him  in  Holy  Communion;  accordingly,  St. 
Mary  Magdalene  of  Pazzi,   St.  Catherine  of  Sienna, 

'  St.  Luke  xii.  49, 


OF  HOLY  COMMUNION.  139 

St.  Theresa,  St.  Philip  Neri,   St.  Francis  Xavier,  and 
thousands  of  others,  by  their  frequent   Communions, 
became,  as  it  were,  furnaces  of  divine  love.     "  Do  you 
not  feel,"  said  St.  Vincent  of  Paul  to  his  brothers  in 
religion,  "  do  you  not  become  sensible  of  the  divine  fire 
in  your  hearts,  after  having  received  the  adorable  Body 
of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Holy  Eucharist?"     In  proof  of 
the  strength  of  love  which   souls   derive  from   Holy 
Communion,  I  might  appeal  to  the  ecstasies  and  rap- 
tures which  so  many  souls  have  experienced  at  the  re- 
ception of  the  most  Holy  Eucharist.     What  were  all 
these  favors  but  flames  of  divine  love,  enkindled  by 
this  heavenly  fire  which,  as  it  were,  destroyed  in  them 
themselves  and  conformed  them  to  the  image  of  their 
Saviour.     Or,  I  might  take  my  proof  from  those  sweet 
tears  which  flow  from  the  eyes  of  so  many  servants  of 
God,   when  at  the  Communion-rail  they  receive  the 
Bread  of  Heaven.     But   I  have  a  better  proof  than 
these  transports  of  devotion  :     I  mean  suffering.     This 
is  the  true  test  of  love.     St.  Paul  says  that  the  Chris- 
tian glories  in  tribulation,  because  the  charity  of  God 
is  poured  out  into  his  heart ;  and  so  the  Holy  Eucha- 
rist, by  infusing  love  into  our  hearts,  gives  us  strength 
to  suffer  for  Christ. 

In  the  life  of  St,  Ludwina,  who  was  sick  for  thirty- 
eight  years  uninterruptedly,  we  read  that,  in  the  be- 
ginning of  her  sickness,  she  shrunk  from  suffering. 
By  a  particular  disposition  of  Providence,  however,  a 
celebrated  servant  of  God,  John  Por,  went  to  see  her, 
and  perceiving  that  she  was  not  quite  resigned  to  the 


140  ON  THE  EFFECTS 

will  of  God,  he  exhorted  her  to  meditate  frequently  on 
the  sufferings  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  by  the  remembrance 
of  His  Passion  she  might  gain  courage  to  suffer  more 
willingly.     She  promised  to  do  so,   and  fulfilled  hei 
promise,  but  she  could  not  find  any  relief  for  her  soul. 
Every  meditation  was  disgusting  and  unpleasant,  and 
she  began  again  to  break  out  into  her  usual  complaints. 
After  a  while,  her  director  returned  to  her  and  asked 
her  how   she  had  succeeded   in  meditating  upon    our 
Lord's  Passion,  and  what  profit  she  had  derived  from 
it.     "  O  my  Father,"  she  answered,  "  your  counsel  was 
very  good   indeed,  but  the  greatness  of  my  suffering 
does  not  allow  me  to  find  any  consolation  in  meditating 
on  my  Saviour's  sorrows.     He  exhorted  her  for  some 
time  to  continue  this  exercise,  no  matter  how  insipid 
soever  it  might  be  to  her ;  but  perceiving  at  last  that 
she  drew  no  fruit  from  it,  his  zeal  suggested  another 
means.      He  gave  Her  Holy  Communion,  and  after- 
wards whispered  in  her  ear  :     "  Till  now  /  have  ex- 
horted you  to  the  continual  remembrance  of  Christ's 
sufferings  as  a  remedy  for  your  pains,  but  now  let  Jesus 
Christ  Himself  exhort  you."     Behold  !  no  sooner  had 
she  swallowed  the  sacred  host  than  she  felt  such  a  great 
love  for  Jesus,  and  such  an  ardent  desire  to  become  like 
unto  Him  in  His  sufferings,  that  she  broke  out  into 
sobs  and  sighs,  and  for  two  weeks  was  hardly  able  to 
stop  her  tears.     From  that  moment  the  pains  and  suf- 
ferings of  her  Saviour  remained  so  deeply  impressed 
upon  her  mind  that  she  thought  of  them  all  the  time, 
and  thus  was  enabled  patiently  to  suffer  for  Him,  Who 


OF  II OL  Y  CO  MM  UNI  ON.  141 

for  the  love  of  her,  had  endured  so  many  and  so  great 
pains  and  torments.  Her  disease  at  last  grew  so  violent 
that  her  flesh  began  to  corrupt  and  to  be  filled  with 
worms,  and  the  putrefaction  extended  even  internally, 
so  that  she  had  to  suffer  the  most  excruciating  pains. 
But,  comforted  by  the  example  of  Jesus  Christ,  she  not 
only  praised  God  and  gave  thanks  to  Him  for  all  her 
sufferings,  but  even  vehemently  desired  to  suffer  still 
more;  nay,  by  meditating  on  the  Passion  of  Jesus 
Christ,  she  was  so  much  inflamed  with  love  that  she 
used  to  say,  "it  was  not  she  who  suffered,  but  her  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  Who  suffered  in  her/' 1 

Thus,  by  Holy  Communion,  this  saint  received  a 
grace  by  which  she  has  merited  to  be  numbered  among 
the  most  patient  of  saints.  Nor  is  this  a  single  case. 
Animated  by  this  heavenly  food,  St.  Lawrence  braved 
the  flames,  St.  Vincent  the  rack,  St.  Sebastian  the 
shower  of  arrows,  St.  Ignatius,  Bishop  of  Antioch,  the 
fury  of  lions,  and  many  other  martyrs  every  kind  of 
torture  which  the  malice  of  the  devil  could  invent,  con- 
tent if  they  could  but  return  their  Saviour  love  for 
love,  life  for  life,  death  for  death.  They  embraced  the 
very  instruments  of  their  tortures;  yea,  they  even 
exulted  and  gloried  in  them.  Now,  this  was  the  effect 
of  the  Holy  Eucharist ;  this  life-giving  bread  imparted 
to  them  courage  and  joy  in  every  pain  and  trial.  For 
this  very  reason,  in  the  early  times  of  the  persecutions, 
all  Christians,  in  order  to  be  prepared  for  martyrdom, 
received  the  Blessed  Sacrament  every  day,  and  when  the 

1  Surius,  H,  Apr'l,  in  vita  S.  Ludwinge,  part  I.  c.  14. 


142  ON  THE  EFFECTS 

danger  was  too  pressing  for  them  to  assemble  together, 
they  even  carried  the  sacred  host  to  their  own  homes 
that  they  might  communicate  themselves  early  in  the 
morning.1     It  was  for  the  same  reason  that  Christ  in- 
stituted the  Holy  Eucharist  just  before  His  Passion, 
that  He  might  thereby  fortify  His  Apostles  for  the  trials 
that  were  coming  on  them.     It  is  true  we  have  not  so 
fierce  a  conflict  to  endure  as  the  early  Christians  had, 
nor  has  any  one  such  a  dreadful  sickness  as  St.  Lud- 
wina  had  j  but,  in  our  lighter  trials,  we  have  also  need 
of  this  fortitude  of  love ;  nor  is  it  refused  to  us.    Multi- 
tudes of  pious  souls  confess  that  it  is  the  Holy  Com- 
munion alone  which  keeps  them  steady  in  the  practice 
of  virtue,  and  cheerful  amid  all  the  vicissitudes  of  life. 
How  often  do  we  hear  such  souls  declaring  that  on  the 
da)-s  they  do  not  receive  Communion  they  seem  to  them- 
selves lame  and  miserable ;  everything  goes  wrong  with 
them,  and  all  their  crosses  seem  tenfold  heavier  than 
usual.     But  when,  in  the  morning,  they  have  had  the 
happiness  of  partaking  of  the  Body  of  Christ,  every- 
thing seems  to  go  well ;  the  daily  annoyances  of  their 
state  seem  to  disappear;  they  are  happy  and  joyous; 
words    of  kindness    seem   to  come  naturally  in  their 
mouths,  and  life  is  no  longer  the  burden  which  once  it 
seemed  to  be.     O  truly  wonder-working   Sacrament! 
Marvellous  invention  of  Divine  Love!   surpassing  all 
power  of  speech  to  describe,  or  thought  to  fathom! 
"When   the  children  of  Israel  found  in  the  fields  th« 

'  The  same  was  done  by  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  during  her  captiv'ty  I* 
England  when  she  was  deprived  of  the  ministry  of  a  priest. 


OF  HOLY  COMMUNION.  143 

bread  from  heaven  which  God  gave  them  in  the  wilder- 
ness, they  called  it  "Manhu,"  "What  is  it?"  because 
they  did  not  know  what  it  was.  So,  after  all  that  we 
have  said  of  the  true  Manna,  the  Sacrament  of  the  Holy 
Eucharist,  we  must  confess  that  we  are  unable  to  com- 
prehend it.  "  Man  does  not  live  on  bread  alone."  He 
has  a  higher  life  than  that  which  is  nourished  by  the 
fruits  of  the  ground,  a  spiritual  and  divine  life,  and  this 
life  is  nourished  by  the  body  of  Christ.  Hidden  under 
the  Sacramental  form,  our  Divine  Saviour  comes  down 
to  make  us  more  and  more  acceptable  to  Him;  to  pre- 
serve us,  in  this  dangerous  world,  from  mortal  sin ;  to 
make  us  true  children  of  God  >  to  console  us  in  our 
exile ;  to  give  us  a  pledge  of  our  eternal  happiness ;  to 
shed  abroad  in  our  hearts  the  love  of  God.  And  as  if 
this  was  not  enough,  and  as  if  to  set  the  seal  on  the 
rest,  He  is  sometimes  pleased  to  make  His  own  most 
Sacred  Body  supply  the  place  of  all  other  nourishment, 
and  miraculously  to  sustain  even  the  natural  life  of  His 
servants  by  this  Sacramental  food.  St.  Catherine  of 
Sienna,  from  Ash  AYednesclay  to  Ascension  day,  took 
no  other  food  than  Holy  Communion.1  A  certain  holv 
virgin  of  Rome  spent  five  whole  lents  without  tasting 
anything  else  but  the  Bread  of  Angels.2 

Nicholas  de  la  Flue,  for  fifteen  successive  years,  lived 
without  other  nourishment  than  the  Sacred  Body  of 
our  Lord.3  And  St.  Liberalis,  Bishop  of  Athens,  fasted 
every  day  in  the  week,  taking  nothing  whatever,  not 

1  Surius,  29  April.  2  Cacciaguerra. 

3  Simon  Majolus  Canicular.     Collet  IV. 


344       ON  THE  EFFECTS  OF  HOLY  COMMUNION 

even  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and  on  Sunday  his  onb 
nourishment  consisted  of  this  heavenly  food,  yet  he  was 
always  strong  and  vigorous.1  We  can  but  repeat,  O 
wonder-working  Sacrament !  !  We  are  at  a  loss  what 
to  say.  We  are  silenced  by  the  greatness  of  God's 
bounty.  What  can  we  do  but  humbly  thank  God  in 
the  depths  of  our  hearts  for  so  great  a  blessing,  so  rich 
a  consolation  in  this  valley  of  tears.  There  is  nothing, 
short  of  the  vision  of  God  in  heaven,  which  the  mind 
of  man  can  conceive,  so  precious  as  one  Communion. 
"  Thou  hast  given  us,  O  Lord,  bread  from  heaven,  hav- 
ing in  it  all  manner  of  delights ! "  "  O  sacred  banquet 
in  which  Christ  is  received,  the  memory  of  His  Passion 
is  celebrated,  the  mind  is  filled  with  grace,  and  the 
pledge  of  future  glory  is  given  to  us  !     Alleluj?, ! " 

1  P.  Nat.  L.  IV.,  Collat.  Sanot.  o.  xciii. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  EXCUSES   OE  THOSE  WHO  DO  NOT  COM- 
MTJNICATE  FREQUENTLY. 

FTEE,  having  heard  of  the  great  desire  of 
Jesus  Christ  to  unite  Himself  to  us  in  Holy 
Communion,  and  the  great  benefit  which  we 
reap  from  such  a  union,  we  might  naturally 
expect  to  find  men  eager  to  avail  themselves  of  a  means 
of  grace  so  rich  and  so  powerful.  But  our  greatest 
misery  is  that  we  are  blind  to  our  true  happiness.  Such 
is  the  deceitfulness  of  sin  and  the  subtlety  of  the  devil, 
that  almost  every  one  has  some  reason  to  give  why  he 
at  least  should  not  receive  Communion  frequently; 
and  thus  all  the  arguments  I  have  presented  in  favor 
of  frequent  Communion  are  frequently  set  aside,  under 
the  most  silly  and  frivolous  pretexts.  It  will  not  be 
without  utility  to  consider,  in  detail,  the  reasons  which 
are  alleged  for  such  strange  conduct,  and  I  will,  there- 
fore, dear  reader,  call  up  before  you,  the  various  classes 
of  Catholics  who  do  not  often  approach  Holy  Commu- 
nion, and  examine  the  excuses  which  they  give,  that 
you  may  judge  of  their  validity.  I  will  make  the 
examination  class  by  class. 

13  K  145 


146  THE  EXCUSES  OF  THOSE  WHO 

Why  do  you  not  go  often  to  Communion  ? 

1st  Excuse.  Because  I  do  not  receive  the  great  graces 
you  spoke  of  in  the  preceding  chapter. 

Answer.  How  do  you  know  that  you  do  not  receive 
them  ?  Is  it  because  you  do  not  feel  them  ?  But  this 
is  no  certain  proof  that  you  do  not  really  receive  them. 
If  you  were  sick  and  had  no  relish  for  food,  would  the 
food,  on  that  account,  cease  to  nourish  you  ?  Now  it  is 
the  same  with  regard  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  the 
spiritual  food  of  your  soul.  Consolations  and  delights 
are  graces  which  God  bestows  when  and  upon  whom 
He  thinks  fit  j  and  if  He  often  deprives  His  servants 
of  them,  it  is  to  try  them,  to  keep  them  humble,  and  to 
give  them  an  opportunity  of  meriting  greater  graces. 
As  corporeal  food  nourishes  you  and  makes  you  strong 
without  your  perceiving  it,  so  also  does  this  heavenly 
food  silently  and  imperceptibly  enrich  your  soul  with 
grace.  You  cannot  see  a  plant  grow,  but  you  can  see 
very  well  that  it  has  grown;  in  like  manner  you  do  not 
see  your  soul  grow  in  the  spiritual  life  by  receiving 
Holy  Communion,  yet  experience  shows  you  that  it 
really  does  grow.  You  now  live  in  the  fear  of  God  ; 
you  have  not  committed  a  mortal  sin  for  years,  perhaps 
not  even  in  your  whole  life.  You  do  not  grow  luke- 
warm in  the  practice  of  virtue  j  you  fulfil  your  duties 
faithfully.  Are  not  all  these  great  graces  and  favors? 
and  are  they  not  all  the  admirable  effects  of  Holy  Com- 
munion ?  Is  not  the  remedy  that  protects  us  from  dis- 
ease better  than  one  that  restores  us  to  health?  But 
let  us  suppose  the  truth  of  what  you  allege.    I  ask  you 


DO  NOT  COMMUNICATE  FREQUENTLY.  147 

why  do  you  not  receive  great  fruit  from  this  Sacrament? 
Do  you  prepare  yourself  sufficiently  ?  Do  you  not  ap- 
proach the  altar  negligently  ?  Do  you  consider  before- 
hand what  you  are  about  to  do,  and  afterwards,  do  you 
reflect  sufficiently  on  what  you  have  done  ?  Or  do  you 
commit  venial  sins  wilfully  and  with  full  deliberation? 
Are  not  these  the  reasons  why  you  fail  to  derive,  from 
the  reception  of  this  Sacrament,  that  profit  which  others 
draw  from  it?  If  so,  you  must  ascribe  the  fault  to 
yourself,  that  Holy  Communion  does  not  produce  in 
you  all  the  fruit  it  should. 

Why  do  you  not  receive  Holy  Communion  frequently? 

2d  Excuse.  I  fear  to  lose  my  reverence  for  it :  the 
proverb  says  :  "  Familiarity  begets  contempt." 

Answer.  I  admit  the  proverb  is  true  in  regard  to 
men,  but  not  in  regard  to  God.  The  more  familiar 
you  become  with  men,  the  more  faults  and  defects  you 
discover  in  them$  and  on  this  account  you  will  feel  less 
respect  for  them ;  but  this  is  not  the  case  in  regard  to 
God.  The  more  intimate  you  become  with  Him,  the 
oftener  you  approach  Him,  the  better  you  become  ac- 
quainted with  Him;  the  more  perfections  you  will  dis- 
cover in  Him,  and  the  more  you  will  love  Him.  Is  it 
not  a  blasphemy  to  say  conversing  with  God  makes  man 
worse  and  more  wicked;  and  that,  in  order  to  be  a  saint 
one  must  withdraw  from  Him  ?  Can  the  most  perfect 
exercise  of  religion  derogate  from  the  respect  which  we 
owe  to  this  Sacrament?  When  do  you  make  acts  of 
faith,  hope,  love,  adoration,  and  humility,  if  not  after 
Communion?     The  Church  insis'ed  upon  daily  Com- 


148  THE  EXCUSES  OF  THOSE  WHO 

munion  in  the  first  ages  of  Christianity;  and  she  now 
strongly  recommends  it  by  the  Council  of  Trent.  Can 
the  Holy  Church  recommend  or  advise  anything  sinful  ? 

Why  do  you  communicate  so  seldom  ? 

M  Excuse.   Because  I   fear  to  receive  Holy  Com- 
munion unworthily. 

Answer.  I  suppose  you  mean  by  this  that  you  do 
not  know  for  certain,  that  you  are  in  the  state,  of  grace. 
It  is  true  we  are  required  to  be  in  the  state  of  grace, 
but  we  are  not  required  to  have  any  greater  certainty 
of  it  than  that  which  is  ordinarily  given  to  good  Chri3- 
tians.  Will  you  wait  till  an  Angel  comes  down  from 
heaven  to  tell  you  that  you  are  in  the  state  of  grace? 
Do  you  not  know,  that  you  can  place  far  more  reliance 
on  the  assurance  of  your  confessor,  than  in  that  of  an 
Angel  ?  If  an  Angel  should  appear  to  you,  you  might 
have  some  reason  to  fear  that  it  was  the  devil,  come  to 
deceive  you ;  but  you  know  that  in  listening  to  your 
confessor,  you  have  the  promise  of  Christ  that  you  shall 
not  be  led  astray.  Hence,  St.  Alphonsus  says  :  "  Place 
more  confidence  in  the  minister  of  God  than  in  the 
revelations  of  all  the  Angels  of  Paradise."  He  adds, 
moreover,  that  there  is  no  species  of  disobedience  more 
hurtful  than  to  omit  a  Communion  prescribed  by  one's 
confessor,  because  such  disobedience  proceeds  from  a 
want  of  humility.  Therefore,  when  you  have  the  per- 
mission of  your  director,  go  forward  with  confidence. 
No  one  goes  tremblingly  to  a  feast/  but  cheerfully  and 
joyfully.  The  Son  of  God  does  not  appear  on  our 
altars  under  the  appearance  of  bread,  in  order  to  be 


D  0  NO  T  COMMUNICA  TE  FREQ  UENTL  Y.  149 

t^garded  with  fear,  but  to  be  approached  with  love 
and  desire.  Besides,  if  you  fear  to  approach  this  Sac- 
rament, do  you  not  also  fear  to  stay  away  from  it.  The 
Son  of  God  declares  in  the  parable  of  the  great  supper, 
that  the  guests  who  declined  their  lord's  invitation 
were  entirely  excluded  from  his  friendship,  even  though 
their  excuses  for  staying  away  had  some  plausibility. 
Should  not  this  example  cause  you  to  fear  ? 

Why  do  you  not  communicate  often  ? 

4th  Excuse.  I  wish  indeed  to  do  so,  and  trust  that  I 
am  in  the  state  of  grace,  but  I  am  so  much  afraid  of 
committing  a  sacrilege. 

Answer.  One  never  commits  a  sacrilege  without  in- 
tending it.  This  is  but  a  deceit  of  the  devil.  O  !  ex- 
ecrable malice !  He  seduced  our  first  parents  by  the 
promise  of  a  happy  life  to  eat  of  that  fruit  which 
brought  death  into  the  world,  and  now  he  makes  every 
effort  to  prevent  Christians  from  eating  the  true  Bread 
of  life,  by  inspiring  the  fear  that  it  may  prove  the  cause 
of  eternal  death ! 

Why  do  you  not  communicate  often  ? 

6th  Excuse.  Because  I  commit  so  many  faults,  that  u 
would  seem  like  presumption   to  receive  Holy  Com 
muni  on  often. 

Answer.  It  is  no  presumption  for  one  who  has  many 
imperfections  and  defects  to  go  often  to  Communion. 
Nay,  it  is  not  presumptuous  to  go,  even  though  one 
commits  many  faults,  provided  they  are  not  altogether 
wilful  and  deliberate.  Do  you  think  you  will  commit 
fewer  faults  by  staying  away  from  Communion  ?     Can 


13* 


150  THE  EXCUSES  OF  THOSE  WHO 

you  avoid  sin  without  God's  grace?     And   how  will 
you  obtain  His  grace  if  not  from  this  Sacrament  ?     I 
would  rather  advise  you  to  go  often,  because  you  are  so 
imperfect,  for  the  longer  you  stay  away,  the  more  im- 
perfect you  will  become.     The  Church  teaches  that  the 
Holy  Eucharist  is  food  and  medicine  at  the  same  time ; 
food  for  the  healthy,  and  medicine  for  the  sick.     Hence 
a  holy  Dominican  nun  used  to  say :  "  For  my  part,  be- 
ing sensible  of  my  unworthiness,  I  would  wish  to  com- 
municate three  times  a  day,  for  by  more  frequent  Com- 
munion I  should  hope  to  render  myself  more  worthy." 
Did  not  the  Son  of  God  answer  to  the  Pharisees,  who 
were  scandalized  at  seeing  Him  eat  with  sinners:  "They 
who  are  in  health  need  not  a  physician,  but  they  that 
are  sick."     You  say,  "I  am  not  worthy,"  thinking, 
perhaps,  that  such  a  sentiment  proceeds  from  humility; 
but  you  ought  to  know,  that,  generally,  it  shows  greater 
humility  to  receive  frequently  than  to  receive  seldom, 
because  one  who  receives  frequently,  by  applying  so 
often  a  remedy  to  his  sickness,  acknowledges  his  infirm- 
ities.    If,  indeed,  your  abstaining  from  Holy  Commun- 
ion really  proceeds  from  humility,  it  is  not  displeasing 
to  God,  but  it  would  be  a  thousand  times  more  accept- 
able to  Him  if  you  would  join  confidence  to  your  hu- 
mility.    Fear  is  good,  but  love  is  far  better. 

One  day  when  St.  Frances  of  Rome  was  going  to 
receive  Communion,  the  devil  said  to  her:  "How  can 
you,  who  are  so  full  of  venial  sins,  dare  to  receive  the 
Immaculate  Lamb  ! "  She  instantly  perceived  that  the 
enemy  in  tended  to  deprive  her  of  so  great  a  joy,  and 


DO  NOT  COMMUNICA TE  FREQ UENTL Y.  151 

silenced  him  by  spitting  in  his  face.  After  this  the 
Blessed  Virgin  appeared  to  her,  and  having  praised 
her  conduct,  she  said  that  our  defects,  instead  of  being 
an  obstacle,  *  should  be  an  incentive  to  Communion; 
^ince  in  Communion  we  find  the  remedy  for  all  our 
miseries. 

Why  do  you  communicate  so  seldom  ? 

6th  Excuse.  Because  I  am  not  holy  enough  to  receive 
Holy  Communion  worthily. 

Answer.  If  you  mean  that,  in  order  to  receive  Holy 
Communion  worthily,  it  is  required  to  have  a  holiness 
equal  to  His  Whom  you  receive,  then  not  even  the 
Blessed  Virgin  was  worthy.  If  you  mean  that  it  is 
necessary  to  have  a  purity  without  spot,  then  the  Apos- 
tles were  unworthy,  because  even  they  had  imperfec- 
tions and  defects;  and  much  more  so  were  the  first 
Christians,  and  yet  they  communicated  daily.  If  you 
mean  only  that  it  is  required  to  make  a  suitable 
preparation,  the  Church  declares  that  the  necessary 
preparation  consists  in  not  having,  knowingly,  a  mor- 
tal sin  on  your  conscience  which  you  have  not  con- 
fessed, although,  indeed,  she  advises  and  exhorts  her 
children  to  a  better  and  more  perfect  preparation, 
namely,  to  endeavor  to  avoid  venial  sins,  and  strive 
earnestly  to  correct  their  faults.  What  is  it,  then,  that 
keeps  you  back  from  Holy  Communion?  Do  not  fancy 
that  the  Son  of  God  requires,  as  a  preparation  for  the 
reception  of  a  Sacrament,  what  is  properly  its  fruit, 
effect,  and  end,  any  more  than  a  physician  requires  a 
sick  person  to  be  healthy,  as  a  preparation  for  taking 


152  THE  EXCUSES  OF  THOSE  WHO 

medicine.  Holiness  and  purity  of  soul  are  the  effects 
of  this  Sacrament,  according  to  the  declaration  of  the 
Council  of  Trent;  is  it  not,  then,  folly  and  injustice  to 
demand  them  as  a  necessary  preparation  for  its  recep- 
tion ?  Tell  me,  if  those  virtues  were  required,  who 
could  ever  communicate  even  at  Easter  ? 

Why  do  you  stay  away  from  Holy  Communion  ? 

7th  Excuse.  Alas !  I  have  offended  God  so  often  and 
grievously  in  my  past  life,  that  I  dare  not  go  often  to 
communicate. 

Answer.  Have  you  offended  Him  more  deeply  than 
St.  Augustine?  Have  you  committed  more  sins  than 
St.  Margaret  of  Cortona  did  before  her  conversion? 
And  do  you  not  remember  that  our  Lord  one  day  told 
this  saint  that  He  would  give  her  confessor  a  great  re- 
ward for  having  advised  her  to  go  often  to  Communion  ? 
or  have  you  forgotten  that  He  said  to  the  venerable 
Prudentiana  Zagnoni:  "If  you  frequently  receive  Me 
in  Holy  Communion,  I  will  forget  all  your  ingratitude"? 
Remember,  that  it  was  for  the  sake  of  sinners  that  the 
Son  of  God  came  down  from  heaven.  If  you  are  truly 
sorry  for  your  sins,  if  you  have  sincerely  confessed  them 
all,  if  you  are  firmly  resolved  not  to  sin  any  more,  then 
you  have  even  a  special  right  and  claim  to  go  to  Com- 
munion. Our  Lord  said  :  "  I  am  not  come  to  call  the 
just,  but  sinners  to  penance." 

Why  do  you  not  go  oftener  to  Communion  ? 

8th  Excuse.  I  fear  that  it  may  come  to  be  a  mere 
custom. 

Answer.  A  good  custom  is  a  good  thing.     Ought  you 


DO  NOT  COMMUNICATE  FREQUENTLY.         153 

to  give  up  hearing  Mass  daily  from  fear  of  becoming 
used  to  it  ?  or  omit  your  daily  prayers  from  an  appre- 
hension of  praying  through  custom  ? 

Why  do  you  not  go  often  to  Communion  ? 

9th  Excuse.  Because,  when  I  do  go,  I  am  so  cold, 
ilistracted  and  indevout. 

Answer.  There  is  a  great  difference  between  devotion 
and  the  feeling  of  devotion.  One  may  have  much  de- 
votion without  feeling  it  at  all.  Sensible  devotion  is 
not  always  the  best,  for  it  is  liable  to  many  illusions. 
Besides  this,  it  does  not  always  depend  upon  us.  God 
grants  it  to  whom  He  pleases.  If  sensible  devotion 
were  required,  most  undoubtedly  those  who  have  it  not 
would  not  be  allowed  to  receive  Holy  Communion  at 
Easter.  If  you  feel  no  devotion,  humble  yourself  be- 
fore God,  but  do  not  stay  away  from  Him.  The  de- 
votion which  is  necessary  for  receiving  Holy  Commu- 
nion consists  in  approaching  your  Lord  with  humility, 
confidence  and  love ;.  with  a  desire  to  honor  Jesus  Christ, 
to  unite  yourself  to  Him,  and  to  obey  Him.  You  say : 
"  I  am  so  cold ; "  but  tell  me,  will  you  become  warm 
by  staying  away  from  the  fire  ?"  Would  it  not  be  wisei 
to  go  to  Communion  in  order  to  become  devout?  Do 
you  not  know  that  Holy  Communion  is  a  fire  which 
enkindles  love,  devotion  and  spiritual  joy  in  the  heart? 
Is  it  not  true  that  the  less  frequently  you  receive  the 
less  desire  you  have  to  receive,  and  that  the  oftener  you 
receive,  the  more  you  will  wish  to  receive  ? 

Why  do  you  not  receive  Communion  more  fre 
quently  ? 


154  THE  EXCUSES  OF  THOSE   WHO 

10th  Excuse.  Because  it  seems  to  me  that  I  feel  more 
devotion  when  I  receive  but  seldom. 

Answer.  That  may  be  true ;  although  it  is  not  the 
general  experience ;  however,  it  will  always  be  true  if 
you  communicate  seldom,  your  soul  will  lack  grace  and 
fervor.  One  who  should  keep  a  continual  fast  would 
become  very  weak  and  attenuated,  although  he  might 
take  his  scanty  food  with  the  keenest  relish. 

Why  do  you  not  receive  Holy  Communion  fre 
quently  ? 

11  th  Excuse.  My  confessor  does  not  allow  me. 
Answer.  If  this  is  really  the  case,  you  must  obey, 
and  supply,  as  well  as  you  can,  the  want  of  the  Holy 
Sacrament  by  multiplying  spiritual  Communions.  Say 
to  Jesus  Christ :  "  Lord,  I  would  receive  Thee  nun* 
frequently  if  I  were  not  prevented  by  obedience,"  and 
He  will  be  pleased  with  your  obedience  and  your  desire 
for  Holy  Communion.  But  are  you  certain  that  your 
confessor  is  not  inclined  to  allow  you  frequent  Com- 
munion? Do  you  often  ask  leave  to  communicate  more 
frequently?  This,  at  least,  is  in  your  power,  and  it  is 
very  useful,  and  by  no  means  opposed  to  the  perfection 
of  obedience.  Your  confessor  knows  that,  to  produce 
great  fruit,  this  divine  food  must  be  eaten  with  hunger, 
and  as  long  as  you  show  but  little  eagerness  for  the 
Holy  Sacrament,  he  will  not  advise  or  permit  you  to 
communicate  often.  But,  perhaps,  you  have  asked  for 
it  several  times,  and  he  has  not  granted  your  request. 
Well,  and  how  did  you  ask?  Did  you  imitate  St. 
Catherine  of  Sienna,  who,  when  deprived  of  Commun- 


DO  NOT  COMMUNICA TE  FREQ UENTL Y.  1 55 

ion  by  her  confessor,  exclaimed  :  "  Father,  gi  ve  my 
soul  its  food ! "  Had  you,  like  her,  manifested  with 
humility  and  resignation  this  holy  hunger,  your  con- 
fessor would  have  treated  you  very  differently ;  but  be- 
cause you  appear  cold  and  not  unwilling  to  be  repulsed 
from  Communion,  he  prudently  abstains  from  advising 
you  to  receive  it  very  often. 

Why  do  you  receive  Holy  Communion  so  infre- 
quently ? 

12th  Excuse.  I  have  not  time  to  prepare  myself  as  I 
ought. 

Answer.  How  much  time  do  you  need  for  prepara- 
tion ?  Must  you  spend  the  whole  morning  in  prayer 
or  in  reading  pious  books?  St.  Theresa  received  Com- 
munion every  day  for  twenty-three  years  ;  do  you  think 
she  had  .nothing  else  to  attend  to?  I  think  she  waf 
more  busy  than  you  will  ever  be.  The  first  Christians 
went  daily  to  Communion;  do  you  imagine  their  occu- 
pations were  of  less  consequence  than  yours,  or  their 
family  affairs  less  troublesome  ?  Shall  I  tell  you  the 
reason  why  the  saints  and  first  Christians  were  able  to 
prepare  themselves  for  daily  Communion  ?  They  were 
more  fervent  than  the  Christians  of  the  present  day, 
and  had  a  greater  love  for  Jesus  Christ.  If  you  fore- 
see that  you  will  not  have  time  in  the  morning  to  pre- 
par?  for  Communion,  endeavor  the  preceding  evening 
to  make  some  preparation,  by  reading  some  pious  book 
and  making  the  acts  which  ought  to  be  made  in  the 
morning;  or  rise  a  little  before  the  usual  time,  and 
npend  whatever  time  may  be  at  your  disposal  in  pre- 


156  THE  EXCUSES  OF  THOSE  WHO 

paring  yourself  as  well  as  you  can ;  or  endeavor  tc 
perform  the  duties  of  your  state  with  a  view  to  please 
God,  and  you  may  rest  assured  that  this  will  be  an  ex- 
cellent preparation  for  your  Communion.  St.  Mary 
Magdalene  of  Pazzi  used  to  say  to  her  sisters  in  re- 
ligion :  "Offer  to  God  all  your  actions  as  a  preparation 
for  Communion;  perform  them  with  the  intention  of 
pleasing  Him,  and  communicate." 

Why  do  you  not  communicate  often  ? 
13th  Excuse.  I  abstain  in  order  to  avoid  the  remarks 
of  others. 

Answer.  If  you  communicate  by  the  advice  of  youi 
confessor,  and  through  a  desire  of  correcting  your  faults 
and  advancing  in  divine  love,  you  need  not  be  disturbed 
at  what  others  may  say  about  you.  Father  Avila  used 
to  say  that  they  who  censured  their  neighbors  for  re- 
ceiving Communion  frequently,  perform  the  office  of 
the  devil.  Why,  then,  should  you  pay  attention  to 
such  people  ?  If  it  be  wrong  to  listen  to  the  devil,  is 
it  right  to  listen  to  his  agents  ?  Do  you  not  know  that 
everything  good  must  meet  with  contradiction  ?  Let 
people  say  what  they  please ;  at  the  day  of  judgment 
they  will  find  out  their  mistake,  and  then  they  will 
despise  you  for  having  listened  to  them. 

Why  do  you  communicate  so  seldom  ? 

14th  Excuse.  Because  the  Church  does  not  command 
me  to  receive  oftener  than  once  a  year,  and  in  obeying 
her  I  cannot  go  astray. 

Answer.  If  the  Church  commanded  you  to  eat  meat 
or  drink  wine  only  once  in  a  year,  would  you  bs  so 


D  0  NO  T  CO  MM  UNICA  TE  FREQ  UENTL  Y.  157 

exact  in  keeping  to  the  letter  of  the  law  ?  The  Church 
requires  us  to  abstain  from  flesh-meat  on  Fridays,  and 
to  fast  during  Lent  and  at  certain  other  seasons;  do 
you  never,  for  a  slight  cause,  seek  exemption  from  this 
precept  ?  How  is  it  that,  for  the  most  part,  those  who 
are  such  literal  interpreters  of  the  law  of  Easter  Com- 
muiuon,  are  so  lax  in  the  observance  of  the  law  of 
fasting  ?  How  is  it,  that  they  who  find  one  Commun- 
ion a  year  just  enough,  generally  complain  of  one  Lent 
a  year  as  a  great  deal  too  much  ?  Ah  !  I  fear  that  faith 
and  reverence  for  the  Church  have  but  little  share  in 
this  excuse,  and  that  the  real  reason  of  your  urging 
this  precept,  is  the  earthliness  and  sordidness  of  your 
affections.  Your  desires  are  low  and  grovelling;  you 
have  more  relish  for  the  food  of  the  body  than  for  the 
food  of  the  soul.  With  the  Israelites  in  the  desert,  you 
prefer  the  good  things  of  Egypt  to  the  Manna  that 
comes  from  heaven ;  and  your  taste  is  so  corrupted  by 
the  impure  pleasures  of  the  world,  that  you  can  find  no 
delight  in  the  sweet  fountains  that  flow  from  the 
Saviour's  side.  Believe  me,  this  is  no  good  sign ;  it  is 
a  sign  of  great  danger ;  for,  as  the  Royal  Prophet  has 
said,  "  Behold,  they  that  go  far  from.  God  shall  perish." 
But  I  have  another  remark  to  make  on  your  excuse. 
You  have  not  represented  the  precept  of  the  Church 
quite  exactly.  You  have  left  out  an  important  word. 
The  Church  says  that  her  children  must  receive  Holy 
Communion  "  at  least  once  a  year."  I  will  tell  you. 
In  former  times  Christians  were  accustomed  to  com- 
municate every  day,  and   then  their  lives  were  holy, 

14 


158  THE  EXCUSES  OE  THOSE   WHO 

and  edifying,  and  chaste,  and  humble;  and  infidels  and 
heretics,  struck  by  the  purity  of  their  manners,  were 
converted  in  crowds  to  the  faith.     But,  in  after-ages, 
luxury  crept  in,  and  the  world  and  the  flesh  had  sway, 
and  too  many  grew  cold  in  love  and  lost  their  relish 
for  this  heavenly  food.     And  now  what  can  the  Church 
do  to  cure  the  evil  ?     If  she  were  to  make  it  obligatory 
to  receive  Holy  Communion  frequently,  she  would  run 
the  risk  of  multiplying  mortal  sins,  and  of  plunging 
her  imperfect  members   more  deeply  into  guilt.     She 
uses,  therefore,  a  wise  and  loving  moderation,  and,  as 
a   tender    mother,   when   every   other  expedient    fails, 
speaks  sternly  to  her  sick  child,  and  forces  it  to  take 
the  food  or  medicine  which  is  absolutely  necessary  to 
life^  —  she  enjoins,  under  pain  of  mortal  sin,  a  single 
Communion  in  the  year,  as  the  least  which  can  be  re- 
quired of  a  Christian.     But  is  this  all  that  she  wishes 
us  to  do  ?     Oh  !  no.     She  desires  that  we  should  con- 
tinually nourish  ourselves  with  the  Bread  of  Life.     In 
the  Council  of  Trent  she  bewails  the  disuse  of  daily 
Communion,  and  earnestly  exhorts  all  the  faithful  to  a 
frequent  use  of  this  sanctifying  food.     Since,  then,  you 
insist  so  much  on  obedience  to  the  Church,  show  the 
spirit  of  an  obedient  child,  and  fulfil  her  ardent  wish. 
Tt  is  true,  you  will  not  fall  under  her  censures  if  you 
receive  but  once  a  year,  but  you  will  be  a  much  better 
Christian  if  you  receive  more  frequently. 

Why  do  you  communicate  so  seldom? 

Ibth  Excuse.    I    do  not   see   any  necessity    for   it! 
There  are  many  others  who  do  not  receive  oitener  than 


DO  NOT  COMMUNICATE  FREQUENTLY.  159 

I  do,  that  is,  once  or  twice  a  year,  and  yet  they  are 
good  Christians;  yea,  as  good  as  those  who  receive 
very  often. 

Answer.     I  will  not  dispute  your  assertion.     No  one 
knows  the  heart  of  another,  and  I  rather  wish  that  you 
should   form  as  charitable  a  judgment  as  you  can  of 
your  neighbors  who  do  not  receive  often.     Neither  will 
I  say  of  all  those  who  go  often  to  Communion,  that 
they  are  exactly  what  they  ought  to  be.     But  scarcely 
any  one  will  affirm  that  persons  who  communicate  but 
once  or  twice  a  year,  are,  generally  speaking,  as  ex- 
emplary in   their  conduct  as  those  who  communicate 
frequently.     Point  out  to  me  those  whom  you  consider 
the  most  pious;   who  live  in  the  world   without  fol- 
lowing its   manners  or  adopting  its   principles;   who, 
when  adversity  overtakes  them,  are  calm  and  resigned 
to  the  will  of  God,  and,  when  it  overtakes  their  neigh- 
bor, are  ready  for  every  act  of  charity;  who  are  meek 
and  kind,  rich  in  good  works  and  fond  of  prayer;  win- 
are  constant  in   their  attendance  at  Mass,  diligent  in 
seeking  spiritual   instruction,  faithful   in   their  duties, 
and  edifying  in  their  conversation —  and  I  will  show 
you  these  same  persons  regularly  at  the  altar  every 
month,  fortnight,  or  week;  yes,  even  oftener.     Grant 
that,  among  these  frequent  communicants,  there  is  but 
one  who  lives  a  truly  devout  life,  you  have  sufficient 
evidence  of  the  fruit  of  this  Sacrament;  for  you  know 
that  no  one  can  live  holily  without  the  grace  of  God, 
and  that  this  Sacrament  was  instituted  to  impart  gtm 
to  us  in  an  abundant  measure.     "  I  am  come  that  "they 


160  THE  EXCUSES  OF  THOSE   WHO 

may  have  life,  and  that  they  may  have  it  more  abun- 
dantly."1 But,  after  all,  is  this  the  proper  way  to 
reason  ? .  Do  not  ask  whether,  others  are  good  Chris- 
tians, but  whether  you  yourself  are.  You  know  a 
good  Christian  means  something  more  than  one  who 
does  not  rob  or  commit  murder,  or  such  like  crimes. 
A  good  Christian  means  a  person  who  endeavors  to 
keep  his  heart  pure  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  to  over- 
come pride,  envy,  avarice,  unchasteness  and  gluttony., 
to  which  his  lower  nature  is  so  prone.  Now,  do  you 
find  within  you  no  sting  of  the  flesh  ?  no  movements  of 
hatred  or  desires  of  revenge?  no  rebellion  of  pride? 
Palladius  tells  the  story  of  a  young  man  who,  after 
endeavoring  for  a  long  time  to  corrupt  a  virtuous 
married  woman,  and  finding  her  chastity  proof  against 
all  his  assaults,  sought  to  revenge  himself  upon  her 
through  the  intervention  of  the  devil.  By  the  per- 
mission of  God,  the  evil  one  caused  her  to  assume  the 
appearance  of  a  wild  beast,  and  her  husband,  greatly 
distressed  at  so  horrible  a  transformation,  took  her  to 
St.  Macarins,  that  by  his  prayers  and  blessing  she 
might  be  delivered  from  the  malice  of  the  devil.  The 
Saint  easily  effected  this  by  his  power  with  God ;  and 
after  the  good  woman  was  restored  to  her  natural  ap- 
pearance, he  gave  her  this  advice:  "In  future  go 
oftener  to  Communion  than  you  have  hitherto  done; 
for  know,  that  the  reason  why  God  permitted  you  to 
appear  in  such  a  form,  is  your  negligence  in  not  hiving 
received  Communion  for  five  successive  wesks.     So  it 

1  John  x.  10. 


1)0  NOT  COMMUNICATE  FREQUENTLY.  161 

i  is  been  revealed  to  me  from  on  high :  remember  it, 
and  take  it  to  heart."  Five  weeks !  and  you  stay 
away  for  five  months,  yea,  for  an  entire  year,  and  find 
no  necessity  for  receiving  oftener  ?  And  do  you  think 
the  devil  has  been  idle,  and  that  no  hideous  transfor- 
mation has  taken  place  in  your  soul  in  the  eyes  of  the 
Angels?  Has  not  your  soul  become  a  sow,  in  im- 
purity ?  or  a  tiger,  in  rage  ?  or  a  viper,  in  treachery  ? 
or  a  filthy  creeping  worm,  in  its  low  and  grovelling 
affections  ?  I  leave  it  to  yourself  to  answer.  God 
grant  that  it  may  not  be  so.  I  know  that  it  is  the 
testimony  and  experience  of  the  Saints,  that  with  all 
their  efforts  and  continual  use  of  the  Sacraments,  they 
found  it  a  hard  thing  to  keep  their  hearts  clean ;  and 
if,  for  a  short  time  they  were  prevented  from  receiving 
the  Bread  of  Heaven,  their  hearts  became  withered  and 
dry,  and  they  exclaimed  :  "  I  am  smitten  as  grass,  and 
my  heart  is  withered,  because  I  forgot  to  eat  my 
Bread/'1  I  also  know  that  Holy  Scripture  says: 
"  They  that  go  far  from  Thee  shall  perish."  2 

And  now,  dear  reader,  I  think  you  have  come  to  the 
same  conclusion,  that  there  is  no  valid  excuse  for  not 
communicating  frequently,  and  that,  for  the  most  part, 
they  who  give  these  excuses  are  influenced  by  a  secret 
unwillingness  to  lead  a  Christian  life  in  good  earnest. 
They  are  unwilling  to  practise  retirement,  detachment 
from  creatures,  and  self-denial.  They  stay  away  from 
Communion  as  long  as  they  can  in  order  to  avoid  the 
rebuke  of  Jer^us  Christ  for  their  sensuality,  pride,  vanity, 

,  A  m       r'!-  c-  5-  Q  Ps.  Ixxii.  27. 

14*  T 


1G2  THE  EXCUSES  OF  THOSE   WHO 

uncharitableness  and  sloth.  Miserable  are  the  conse- 
quences of  such  a  course  of  conduct.  Not  being  able  to 
find  true  peace  of  heart  in  religion,  such  men  seek  their 
consolation  in  exterior  things,  and  multiply  faults  and 
imperfections  in  proportion  as  they  withdraw  from  God. 
And  what  is  most  lamentable  is,  that  not  unfrequently 
their  venial  sins  lead  them  into  mortal  sins,  and  that 
they  live  in  such  a  state  for  months,  remaining  in  con- 
stant danger  of  being  overtaken  by  a  sudden  and  un- 
provided death,  the  just  punishment  of  their  ingratitude 
and  indifference  towards  Jesus  Christ. 

I  have  said,  "for  the  most  part,"  for  I  know  there  are 
cases  in  which  reluctance  to  receive  this  Sacrament  pro- 
ceeds from  a  vain  fear  of  irreverence  inspired  by  the 
teaching:  of  misguided  men.  I  have  said  enough  al- 
ready  to  show  the  groundlessness  of  such  a  fear  and  its 
injuriousness  to  God;  would  that  I  could  sufficiently 
express  its  hurtfulness  to  souls.  St.  Vincent  of  Paul, 
when  speaking  of  this  subject,  used  to  relate  the  follow- 
ing story  :  "  A  noble  and  pious  lady,  who  had  long 
been  in  the  habit  of  communicating  several  times  a 
week,  was  so  unhappy  as  to  choose  for  her  confessor  a 
priest  who  wTas  imbued  with  the  principles  of  the  Jan- 
senistic  heresy.  Her  new  director  at  first  allowed  her 
to  go  to  Holy  Communion  once  a  week ;  but,  after  a 
while,  he  would  not  permit  her  to  go  oftener  than  once 
a  fortnight,  and  at  last  he  limited  her  to  once  a  month. 
The  lady  went  on  in  this  way  for  eight  months,  when, 
wishing  to  know  the  state  of  her  soul,  she  made  a  care- 
ful self-examination  ;  but,  alas !  she  found  her  heart  so 


DO  NOT  COMMUNICATE  FREQUENTLY.  163 

full  of  irregular  appetites,  passions  and  imperfections 
that  she  was  actually  afraid  of  herself.  Horror-struck 
at  her  deterioration,  she  exclaimed :  "  Miserable  creature 
that  I  am  !  Plow  deeply  have  I  fallen  !  How  wretch- 
edly am  I  living!  Where  will  all  this  end?  What  is 
the  cause  of  this  lamentable  state  of  mine?  I  see !  I 
see !  It  is  for  no  other  reason  than  for  my  having  fol- 
lowed these  new  teachers,  and  for  having  abandoned 
the  practice  of  frequent  Communion."  Then,  giving 
thanks  to  God,  Who  had  enlightened  her  to  see  her 
error,  she  renounced  her  false  guide  and  resumed  her 
former  practice.  Soon  after  she  was  enabled  to  get  the 
better  of  her  faults  and  passions,  and  to  regain  tran- 
quillity of  heart.  O  how  effectually  do  such  men  per- 
form the  work  of  the  devil.  The  great  adversary  of 
mankind  has  nothing  so  much  at  heart  as  to  keep  men 
back  from  the  means  of  grace,  especially  the  Blessed 
"Eucharist.  In  his  warfare  against  the  faithful,  he  acts 
as  the  nations  bordering  upon  Abyssinia  are  said  to  do 
in  their  conflicts  with  the  inhabitants  of  that  country. 
The  Abyssinians  are  known  to  observe  a  strict  fast  of 
forty  days  at  a  certain  period  of  the  year,  and  it  is  the 
cruel  custom  of  their  enemies  to  wait  until  they  are 
weakened  by  this  long  abstinence,  and  then  to  rush 
upon  them  and  gain  an  easy  victory.  Thus,  I  say,  it  is 
with  the  devil ;  a  forty  days'  fast  from  the  Blessed  Sa- 
crament is  a  rich  conquest  for  him.  It  is  his  greatest 
delight  to  keep  men  away  from  the  altar.  Every  excuse 
for  staying  away  from  Holy  Communion  is  legitimate 
in  his  eyes ;  every  doctrine  which  teaches  that  it  is  use- 


164  THE  EXCUSES  OF  THOSE  WHO 

less  or  hurtful  to  frequent  the  Holy  Eucharist  is  stamped 
with  his  approval ;  every  taunt  with  which  a  tepid 
Catholic  upbraids  his  more  fervent  brother  for  nourish- 
ing his  soul  often  with  the  Bread  of  Life,  is  music  in 
his  ears.  And  he  is  in  the  right,  for  let  men  but  once 
be  persuaded  to  deprive  themselves  of  the  strengthening 
Body  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  work  of  Satan  is  no 
longer  difficult.  When  the  soul  is  weak  in  grace,  by 
reason  of  long  abstinence  from  the  Flesh  of  Jesus 
Christ,  then  the  evil  one  comes  down  upon  it  with  his 
strong  temptations,  and,  almost  without  resistance, 
makes  it  his  slave.  Once  more,  those  who  discounte- 
nance frequent  Communion  do  the  devil's  work.  They 
give  hell  much  pleasure  and  deprive  our  Lord  of  great 
delight.  It  is  on  this  account  that  our  Lord  so  often 
visits  with  severe  punishments  those  who  dissuade 
others  from  receiving  Him.  A  woman  who  mocked 
St.  Catherine  of  Sienna  for  going  so  often  to  Holy 
Communion,  on  her  return  home,  fell  down  to  the 
ground  and  died  instantly  without  being  able  to  receive 
the  last  Sacraments.  Another  Avoman,  who  had  com- 
mitted the  same  offence,  became  crazy  all  at  once. 
Nay,  even  where  the  fault  was  much  slighter,  God  has 
shown  His  displeasure.  St.  Ludgardis  was  in  the  habit 
of  receiving  Holy  Communion  very  often,  but  her  supe- 
rioress disapproving,  forbade  her  doing  so  in  future. 
The  saint  obeyed,  but,  at  that  very  moment,  her  supe- 
rioress fell  sick,  and  had  to  suffer  the  most  acute  pains. 
At  last,  suspecting  that  her  sickness  was  a  punishment 
for  having  interdicted  frequent  Communion  to  Lud- 


D  O  NO  T  CO  MM  UNICA  TE  FREQ  UENTL  Y.  165 

gardis,  she  withdrew  the  prohibition,  when,  lo !  hec 
pains  immediately  left  her,  and  she  began  to  feel  better. 
Come,  then,  O  Christian,  to  the  heavenly  Banquet, 
which  your  Divine  Saviour  has  prepared  for  you.  "All 
things  are  ready  "  Jesus  Christ  desires  to  unite  Him- 
self to  you.  "  Behold/'  He  says,  "I  stand  at  the  door 
and  knock.  Open  to  Me,  My  Sister,  My  beloved,  My 
dove,  My  undenled;  for  My  head  is  full  of  dew,  and 
My  locks  of  the  drops  of  the  night."  He  has  waited 
for  you  through  a  long  night  of  sin,  and  now  that  He 
has  restored  you  to  the  state  of  grace  by  the  Sacra- 
ment of  Penance,  He  wishes  to  take  up  His  abode  in 
your  heart,  and  to  enrich  you  with  His  graces.  Let 
no  temptation  whatever  keep  you  from  so  great  a  Good. 
With  St.  Mary  Magdalene  of  Pazzi  say:  "1  would 
rather  die  than  omit  a  Communion  permitted  by  obe- 
dience. As  often  as  your  director  advises  you,  go  for- 
ward to  receive  your  Lord  with  confidence  and  sim- 
plicity of  heart;  and  reply  to  those  who  blame  you  for 
communicating  so  often,  as  St.  Francis  de  Sales  advises 
you  to  do.  -"If,"  says  he,  "they  ask  you  why  you 
communicate  so  often,  tell  them  that  two  classes  of 
persons  should  communicate  frequently:  the  perfect  to 
persevere  in  perfection,  and  the  imperfect,  to  attain  per- 
fection: the  strong  not  to  become  weak,  and  the  weak 
to  grow  strong:  the  sick  to  be  cured,  and  the  healthy 
to  prevent  sickness.  And  as  to  yourself,  tell  them  that, 
because  you  are  imperfect,  weak  and  infirm,  you  stand 
in  need  of  Communion/71     Tell  them  you  wish  to  be- 

1  Introduction  to  a  Devout  Life,  c.  21. 


L66        EXCUSES  FOR  INFREQUENT  COMMUNION. 

come  patient,  and  therefore  you  must  receive  your  pa- 
tient Saviour;  that  you  wish  to  become  meek,  and 
therefore  you  must  receive  your  meek  Saviour;  that 
you  wish  to  love  contempt,  and  therefore  you  must  re- 
ceive your  despised  Saviour;  that  you  wish  to  love 
crosses,  and  therefore  you  must  receive  your  suffering 
Saviour ;  that  you  wish  to  love  poverty,  and  therefore 
you  must  receive  your  poor  Saviour  ;  that  you  wish  to 
become  strong  against  the  temptations  of  the  devil,  the 
flesh  and  the  world,  and  therefore  you  stand  in  need  of 
your  comforting  and  strengthening  Saviour.  Tell  them 
He  has  said  :  "  He  that  eateth  My  Flesh  shall  live  by 
Me."  I  wish  to  live,  and  therefore  I  receive  Jesus,  my 
life,  "  that  He  may  live  in  me  and  I  in  Him  ! "  He, 
in  Whose  words  you  put  your  trust,  will  justify  you  ; 
your  soul  will  continually  grow  stronger  in  virtue; 
your  heart  will  become  more  and  more  pure;  your  pas- 
sions will  become  weaker;  your  faith  more  lively,  your 
hope  more  firm,  your  charity  more  ardent;  you  will 
receive  grace  to  live  in  the  world  as  an  heir  of  heaven ; 
and  when  at  your  last  hour,  the  priest  comes  to  ad- 
minister the  Holy  Viaticum,  you  will  be  able  to  say 
with  St.  Theresa:  "My  Lord  and  my  Bridegroom,  so, 
then,  the  hour  is  come  at  last  for  which  my  heart  has 
longed  so  much.  Xow  is  the  time  that  we  shall  see 
each  other  face  to  face.  Blessed  be  this  hour!  Thy 
will  be  done!  O  happy  hour,  in  which  my  exile  has 
an  end,  and  my  soul  takes  its  flight  to  Thee,  for  Whom 
it  has  longed  so  much!" 


CHAP  TEE  X. 

ON  UNWORTHY  COMMUNION. 

HERE  remains,  dear  reader,  one  more  sub- 
ject to  treat  of  before  my  task  is  ended ;  it  is 
unworthy  Communion.  It  is  not  so  agree- 
able a  subject  as  those  with  which  we  have 
been  hitherto  engaged ;  but  reverence  for  our  Divine 
Saviour,  as  well  as  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  re- 
quire that  the  truth  should  be  told.  There  is  nothing 
that  gives  more  honor  to  God,  and  contributes  more  to 
our  own  welfare,  than  the  devout  reception  of  the  Holy 
Eucharist ;  and  there  is,  on  the  contrary,  nothing  more 
injurious  to  God  and  more  hurtful  to  our  souls  than  an 
unworthy  Communion.  You  will,  perhaps,  ask  in 
astonishment :  "  Are  there,  then,  really  people  so 
wicked  as  knowingly  and  wilfully  to  make  an  un- 
worthy Communion  ?  "  Alas  !  that  I  must  say  it,  there 
are  but  too  many.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  there  are 
many  who  receive  the  Sacrament  unworthily  out  of  pure 
malice,  with  the  express  purpose  of  dishonoring  God  — 
though,  as  we  have  seen,  even  that  has  happened  —  but 
I  do  say  that  there  are  many  who  wish  to  enjoy  the 
privileges   of  a  Christian  whilst  leading  an   immoral 

167 


168  ON  UN  WORMY  COMMUNION. 

life,  and  who  dare  receive  the  Author  of  all  purity  into 
a  heart  that  is  denied  by  mortal  sin.  This  crime  is 
committed  by  three  classes  of  persons  —  first,  by  all 
those  who  are  in  mortal  sin,  and  who  go  to  Communion 
after  having  been  refused  absolution  j  secondly,  by  all 
those  who  have  wilfully  concealed  a  mortal  sin  in  con- 
fession j  and,  finally,  by  all  those  who,  though  they 
have  confessed  all  their  mortal  sins,. have,  nevertheless, 
no  true  sorrow  for  them,  and  no  firm  purpose  of  amend- 
ment. To  the  latter  class  belong  all  those  that  do  not 
intend  to  keep  the  promises  they  made  in  confession ; 
who  are  not  willing  to  be  reconciled  to  those  who  have 
offended  them ;  those  who  will  not  restore  the  property 
or  good  name  of  their  neighbor;  those  who  are  not 
full}  determined  to  keep  away  from  taverns,  grog- 
shops, and  the  like,  that  have  proved  occasions  of  sin 
to  them  j  and,  finally,  all  those  that  wTill  not  break  off 
sinful  and  dangerous  company.  Now,  if  we  consider 
the  actual  state  of  the  world,  we  cannot  help  fearing 
that  there  are  many  Christians  who  make  bad  Com- 
munions. The  Catholic  priest,  therefore,  is  in  duty 
bound  to  warn  the  faithful  against  this  grievous  crime. 
Even  in  the  very  first  ages  of  Christianity,  in  those 
days  of  primitive  fervor,  St.  Paul  was  compelled  to 
warn  the  Christians  of  Corinth  against  this  heinous 
crime,  and  the  few  energetic  words  he  addressed  to  them 
on  that  occasion  comprehend  all  that  may  be  said  on 
the  subject.  "  Whosoever,"  he  says,  "  shall  eat  this 
bread  or  drink  the  chalice  of  the  Lord  unworthily, 
>hall  be  guilty  of  the  body  and  blood  of  the  Lord." 


ON   UNWORTHY  COMMUNION.  1G9 

And  again  :  "  He  that  eateth  and  drinketh  unworthily, 
eateth  and  drinketh  judgment  to  himself."  We  will 
follow  the  Apostle,  both  in  the  choice  of  arguments 
and  the  order  of  presenting  them.  We  will  consider, 
in  the  first  place,  the  heinousness  of  the  crime  which 
they  commit  who  receive  Communion  sacrilegiously, 
and,  in  the  second  place,  the  terrible  chastisement 
that  awaits  them. 

St.  Paul  paints  this  crime  in  the  most  fearful  colors. 
"  Whosoever,"  he  says,  "  shall  eat  this  bread  or  drink 
the  chalice  of  the  Lord  unworthily,  shall  be  guilty  of 
the  body  and,  blood  of  the  Lord"  By  this  he  evidently 
asserts  that  whoever  receives  the  Blessed  Eucharist  un- 
worthily is,  in  a  certain  sense,  guilty  of  the  murder  of 
our  Lord.  This  may,  at  first  sight,  appear  extrava- 
gant. It  may  seem  harsh  to  class  the  sacrilegious  com- 
municant with  the  enemies  of  our  Lord,  with  those 
wicked  men  who  put  him  to  death ;  but  a  little  reflec- 
tion will  show  how  closely  he  resembles  them.  While 
our  Blessed  Lord  was  yet  living  on  earth,  He  had  many 
cruel  enemies.  There  were,  however,  three  that  perse- 
cuted Him  with  special  malice.  They  were  Herod. 
Judas,  and  the  Jewish  priests  and  people.  In  Herod 
we  see  cruel  violence  towards  an  innocent  and  unoffend- 
ing Babe ;  in  Judas  we  see  base  treachery  and  ingrati- 
tude to  a  Friend  and  Benefactor,  and  in  the  Jewish 
priests  we  behold  outrage,  insolence  and  contempt  of 
the  Anointed  Messiah,  the  true  Son  of  God.  Now  we 
shall  find  all  these  crimes  united  in  a  sacrilegious  Com- 
munion. "Go,"  said  Herod  to  the  Wise  Men;  "go 
16 


170  ON  VN WORTHY  COMMUNION. 

and  search  diligently  after  the  Child,  and  when  you 
have  found  Him  bring  me  word,  that  I  also  may  come 
and  adore  Him."  These  words  seem  full  of  faith  and 
reverence ;  but  trader  this  outward  show  of  reverence, 
Herod  concealed  a  wicked  and  cruel  design.  lie  was 
determined  to  destroy  the  new-born  King  of  the  Jews, 
and  when  he  found  that  he  had  been  disappointed,  he 
slew,  in  his  fury,  all  the  children  of  Bethlehem  and  the 
neighborhood  thereof.  He  did  not,  however,  succeed 
in  destroying  the  Divine  Infant.  St.  Joseph,  in  obe- 
dience to  the  command  of  God,  carried  Him  into 
Egypt.  There  he  remained  until  the  Angel  of  the 
Lord  appeared  again  to  St.  Joseph  and  said :  "  Take 
the  Child  and  His  Mother,  and  return  to  thy  country, 
for  those  that  sought  the  life  of  the  Child  are  dead." 
O  Angel  of  God  !  what  dost  thou  say?  They  are  dead 
who  sought  the  life  of  the  Child  ?  Ah  !  would  that  it 
were  true  !  Are  not  those  wicked  Christians  who  out- 
rage their  Saviour  in  the  true  Bethlehem,  the  house  of 
bread,  that  is  to  say,  at  the  very  foot  of  the  Sacred 
Altar,  are  they  not  so  many  Herods?  They  present 
themselves  at  the  table  of  the  Lord  in  the  attitude  of 
adoration ;  they  strike  their  breasts  as  if  in  sorrow  for 
their  sins;  they  fold  their  hands  as  if  in  deep  devotion, 
and  they  open  those  lips  defiled  by  sin ;  they  receive  the 
innocent  Lamb  of  God  and  make  Him  a  prisoner  in  a 
sinful  and  polluted  heart.  Mortal  sin  is  so  opposed  to 
God  that,  if  He  could  die,  sin  would  destroy  Him.  To 
refcdve  our  Lord  into  a  heart  that  is  defiled  by  mortal 
sin   is  to  bring  Him  into  the  power  of  His  greatest 


ON  UNWORTHY  COMMUNION.  171 

Sfcwmy— it  is  to  treat  Him  with  even  greater  cruelty 
than  Herod.     Herod  was   an  unbelieving   Jew;   but 
those  who  receive  Him  unworthily  are  Christians  and 
Catholics.     They  know  whom  they  maltreat;    Herod 
did  not  know  Him.    Our  Lord  does  not  work  a  miracle 
to  deliver  Himself  out  of  their  hands  as  He  did  to  free 
Himself  from  the  hands  of  Herod ;  He  does  not  send 
an  Angel  to  inform  the  priest  who,  among  the  throng 
that  presses  to  the  altar,  are  in  the  state  of  mortal  sin ; 
and   even  if  He  were  to  do  so,  the  priest  is  not  at 
liberty  to   make  use   of  this   knowledge,  at  least  not 
unless  the  criminal  should  be  a  notorious  sinner,  so 
tender  is  Jesus  of  the  reputation  of  those  very  men 
who  are  heaping  outrages  upon    Him.     He  does  not 
desert  the  consecrated  species  the  moment  He  is  kid 
upon  the  tongue  of  the  sacrilegious  communicant,    No  ! 
true  to  His  own  Institution,  He  remains  and  enters  un- 
resistingly even  the  basest  heart.     O!    what  must  be 
His  feelings    at    such   a   moment?     When    Jesus  was 
struck  by  that  infamous  servant  in  the  judgment-hall, 
in  presence  of  Annas,  He  said  :  "  If  I  have  spoken  ill, 
give  testimony  of  the  evil ,   bu.t  if  well,  why  strikest 
thou  Me  ?"     It  is  thus,  too,  that  Jesus  seems  to  address 
the  unworthy  communicant:  -'What  have  I  done,"  He 
says,  "  oh  Christian  soul,  that  thou  shouldst  treat  Me 
so  cruelly  ?     Was  it  not  enough  that  I  had  to  flee  from 
the  rage  of  tyrants  when  I  was  on  earth,  wilt  thou,  too, 
lift  up  thy  hand  against  Me?     Ah  !  from  them  I  fled, 
but  from  thee  I  cannot  flee.     Strike,  then ;  I  will  not 
avoid  the  blow.     Strike!  :t  shall  fall  upon  My  heart, 


172  ON  UNWORTHY  COMMUNION. 

for  My  love  has  bound  My  hands.  I  do  not  resist." 
In  the  early  ages  of  the  Church,  distorted  accounts  of 
the  Eucharistic  Sacrifice  having  reached  the  ears  of  the 
heathens,  they  accused  the  Christians  of  the  horrid 
custom  of  murdering,  in  their  assemblies,  an  infant 
whom  they  adored  as  their  God.  This  was  a  base 
calumny;  but,  alas!  the  accusation  is  but  toe  true  of 
those  wicked  monsters  who  are  guilty  of  an  unworthy 
Communion ! 

.  Yes,  the  unworthy  communicant  is  another  Herod ; 
bul  he  is  even  worse,  he  is  a  second  Judas.  All  men 
abhor  Judas  Iscariot ;  his  very  name  is  held  in  execra- 
tion. No  Christian  would  bear  the  name  of  Judas. 
The  Church  seems  unwilling  to  pronounce  it,  even  when 
belonging  to  another  Apostle.  In  the  canon  of  the 
Ma'js,  when  the  names  of  the  twelve  Apostles  occur, 
she  designates  the  Apostle  who  was  named  Judas  Thad- 
deus  simply  as  Thaddeus,  omitting  the  title  which  he 
shared  in  common  with  the  apostate  traitor.  JSro\v, 
whence  comes  this  deep,  universal  detestation  of  Judas? 
What  crime  has  he  committed  thus  to  make  him  an 
object  of  horror  to  all  men?  Ah!  you  know  it  already. 
Judas  was  a  traitor !  He  was  guilty  of  the  blackest 
ingratitude,  the  basest  treachery.  He  professed  to  be 
the  friend  of  Jesus  ;  he  had  received  innumerable  bene- 
fits from  Him  ;  he  had  been  treated  as  an  intimate  friend, 
and  he  used  the  knowledge  which  this  intimacy  gave 
him  to  betray  his  Master  into  the  hands  of  His  ene- 
mies. He  came  into  the  garden  where  our  Lord  was 
praying  with  His  disciples  —  he  gave  Him  a  kiss,  tha 


ON  UNWORTHY  COMMUNION.  173 

usual  salutation  between  our  Lord  and  His  Apostles, 
and  said:  "Hail  Rabbi!"  Immediately  the  armed 
multitude  he  had  brought  with  him  seized  upon  our 
Lord,  bound  Him,  and  carried  Him  captive  to  the  palace 
of  the  High  Priest.  How  touching  is  the  reproach 
which  Christ  then  made  to  Judas  :  "  Ah  Judas  !  dost 
thou  betray  the  Son  of  Man  with  a  kiss?"  Our  Lord 
Beems  to  feel  the  circumstances  of  His  betrayal  even 
more  than  the  betrayal  itself.  If  it  had  been  any  one 
but  Judas,  who  was  one  of  the  Apostles,  one  whom 
Jesus  had  chosen  to  be  a  priest  and  prince  of  His 
Church ;  one  whom  He  had  admitted  to  His  most  un- 
reserved intimacy  ;  or  if  it  had  been  done  in  any  other 
way  ;  if  the  wretched  man  had  thrown  off  the  mask  j 
if  he  had  openly  joined  the  Jews  and  Roman  soldiers  • 
if  he  had  come  out  !ike  the  rest,  sword  in  hand,  it 
would  have  been  less  bitter ;  but  to  come  as  a  friend ; 
to  come  as  a  cherished  disciple;  to  come  with  a  kiss  — 
0  !  this  was  too  much.  This  was  that  deep  and  cruel 
pang  that  pierced  our  Saviour  to  the  heart !  It  is  of 
this  that  our  Lord  complains  by  the  mouth  of  the 
Psalmist :  "  If  my  enemy  had  reviled  me,  I  would  in- 
deed have  borne  it  j  and  if  he  that  hated  me  had  spoken 
grievous  things  against  me,  I  would,  perhaps,  have 
hidden  myself  from  him.  But  thou,  a  man  of  my  own 
mind,  my  guide  and  my  familiar !  In  the  house  of 
God  we  walked  with  consent."  But  O !  how  much 
more  justly  may  Jesus  make  the  same  complaint  of  the 
sacrilegious  communicant?  The  Holy  Eucharist  is  a 
pledge  of  love.     In  Holy  Communion  God  lovingly 


174  ON  UNWORTHY  COMMUNION. 

caresses  the  soul.  When  St.  John  reposed  in  our  Lord's 
bosom,  he  did  not  enjoy  so  much  familiarity  with  him 
as  does  the  soul  that  receives  Him  in  Holy  Commun- 
ion. We  call  it  "  Communion "  because  it  is  a  union 
between  the  soul  and  God.  How  horrible,  then,  must 
it  be  to  abuse  this  Holy  Sacrament ;  to  receive  it  with 
a  traitorous  heart !  Plow  painful  must  it  be  to  our 
Lord  to  receive  a  false  caress ;  to  be  folded  in  a  sinful 
embrace ;  to  be  brought  into  the  loathsome  prison  of  a 
sinful  heart !  O  loving  Saviour !  how  great  is  the 
wrong  that  is  done  to  Thy  love  !  Well  has  the  prophet 
predicted  of  Thee :  "  The  wicked  have  fought  against 
me  without  a  cause.  Instead  of  making  me  a  return 
for  my  love,  they  have  only  repaid  me  with  evil  and 
hate.  They  spoke  indeed  peaceably  to  me,  but  they 
devised  guile.  Their  words  were  smoother  than  oil, 
but  they  are  cruel  darts."  From  the  tabernacle  I  hear 
Thy  outraged  heart  complain:  "Behold,  all  ye  that 
pass  by  the  way,  come  and  see  the  wounds  with  which 
I  have  been  wounded  in  the  house  of  my  friends;  at- 
tend and  see  if  there  be  any  sorrow  like  unto  my  sor- 
row ! "  The  base  treachery  of  Judas,  however,  was  but 
the  prelude  to  the  many  outrages  that  were  heaped  upon 
our  Lord  by  the  Jewish  priests  and  people.  These, 
too,  find  a  parallel  in  an  unworthy  Communion.  When 
David  had  cut  oft'  a  piece  of  the  mantle  of  Saul,  his 
royal  enemy,  his  heart  smote  him  because  he  had  "  lifted 
his  hand  against  the  anointed  of  the  Lord."  Indeed, 
this  feeling  was  quite  natural,  for  the  greatness  of  an 
injury  depends  always  on  the  dignity  of  the  person  of- 


ON  UNWORTHY  COMMUNION  175 

fended.  Who  would  not  feel  more  indignant  at  seeing 
a  parent  dishonored  than  at  seeing  a  stranger?  It  is 
related  in  the  life  of  St.  Joseph  Calasanctius,  that  in 
his  old  age  he  was  summoned  before  court  on  some 
frivolous  charge.  He  was  rudely  dragged  from  the 
altar ;  he  was  hurried  through  the  public  streets  bare- 
headed, under  a  burning  sun,  amid  the  shouts  and  jeers 
of  the  populace.  Who  could  have  looked  upon  the  se- 
rene face  of  that  hoary-headed  old  man,  as  he  was  thus 
ignominiously  dragged  along,  without  being  moved  to 
tears  ?  How  horrible  a  crime  would  it  be  in  the  eyes 
of  the  Catholic  world  to  kill  a  bishop  at  the  altar,  or 
the  Pope  upon  his  throne !  Justice  would  require  that 
Buch  a  criminal  should  be  punished  with  much  greater 
severity  than  an  ordinary  murderer.  How  grievous, 
then,  must  have  been  the  crime  of  those  who  persecuted 
our  Lord  Himself.  Let  us  read  the  simple  words  of 
Holy  Scripture :  "  He  was  despised  and  the  most  ab- 
ject of  men,  a  man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with 
infirmity  ;  He  was  led  as  a  sheep  to  the  slaughter  ;  He 
was  mute  as  a  lamb  before  His  shearers,  and  He  opened 
not  His  mouth ;  He  gave  His  cheek  to  the  striker,  and 
He  was  filled  with  reproaches;  He  was  made  a  derision 
to  the  people  and  their  song  all  the  day  long ;  He  was 
cut  off  from  the  land  of  the  living."  We  feel  the  deep 
meaning  of  those  words  only  when  we  ask,  as  did  the 
Eunuch  of  St.  Philip:  "Of  whom  doth  the  prophet 
Bpeak?"  That  face,  bruised  with  blows  and  denied 
with  spittle,  is  the  face  of  God  —  that  face  which  is  the 
everlasting  brightness  of  heaven  ;  those  hands,  trans- 


176  ON   UN  WORTH!    COMMUNION. 

fixed  with  nails,  are  the  hands  of  the  Almighty,  Who, 
in  His  wisdom,  laid  the   foundations  of  the  universe; 
He  who  hangs  between  two  malefactors  on  the  accursed 
tree  is  the  Immaculate  Lamb  of  God,  the  Eternal  Sor 
of   the   Father.     "Ah!"  you   exclaim,  "here  human 
wickedness  has  reached  its  height!"     Can  there  be  a 
greater  proof  of  God's  patience  than  His  forbearance 
at  the  perpetration  of  a  crime  like  this  ?     Yes,  I  will 
assert,  that  almost  every  instance  of  unworthy   Com- 
munion is  even  a  strong  proof  of  God's  patient  endur- 
ance.    In  some  respects,  the  dishonor  which  is  shown 
our  Lord  in   an  unworthy  Communion  is  far  greater 
than  that  which  was  shown  Him  at  His  death.     Then, 
indeed,  He  died  a  death  of  shame ;  but  it  was  for  the 
salvation  of  the  world.     He  offered  His  soul  because 
He  willed  it.     He   was  satisfied,  because  He  saw  the 
abundant  fruit  of  His  labors.     But  when  He  is  received 
unworthily  in  Holy  Communion,  He  is  crucified  anew, 
without  any  compensation,  and  against  His  will.     He 
is  brought  as  a  prisoner  into  the  horrid  and  filthy  dun- 
geon of  a  sinful  heart,     He  is  chained  there  to  passions 
which  He  loathes;  He  is  forced  to  become,  as  it  were, 
one  with  the  sinner.     Can  anything  be  conceived  more 
horrible  than  this?     Would  it  not  be  far  better  that 
the    sacred  host  should   be   thrown  upon  a  dunghill; 
that  it  should  be  devoured  by  an  unclean  beast  than  that 
it  should  be  received  into  a  heart  defiled  with  mortal 
•sin  ?     Most  certainly  ;  for  in  that  case  our  Lord  would 
suffer  no  real  dishonor.     He  fills  all  things,  and  is  es- 
sentially everywhere.     He  cannot  be  sullied  except  in 


ON  UNWORTHY  COMMUNION.  177 

the  heart  of  the  sinner,  where  He  is  brought  into  con- 
tact with  that  which  alone  is  hateful  to  Him — sin.  It 
is  related  in  the  annals  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  that  a 
young  man  who,  through  shame,  had  concealed  a  mor- 
tal sin  in  confession,  had  the  rashness  to  receive  Holy 
Communion ;  but,  on  attempting  to  swallow  the  host, 
he  was  seized  with  such  excruciating  pains  that  he  was 
compelled  to  rush  out  of  the  church  and  to  cast  forth 
the  sacred  particle  into  the  filth  of  the  street.  After 
this  he  felt  instantly  relieved.  Our  Lord  gave  him 
thereby  to  understand  that  the  very  filth  of  the  street 
was  more  acceptable  to  Him  than  a  heart  that  is  defiled 
by  sin. 

Should  any  amongst  us  be  still  unmoved,  still  callous, 
grant,  O  Lord,  that  we  may  at  least  be  touched  by  Thy 
chastisements !  The  impious  Abiron  placed  his  sacri- 
legious hand  upon  the  censer,  and  immediately  the 
earth  opened  and  swallowed  him  up.1  The  neglectful 
sons  of  the  high  priest  Aaron  filled  their  censers  with 
unhallowed  fire,  and  in  an  instant,  fire  from  heaven 
killed  them.  Ophni  and  Phinees  profaned  the  sacri- 
fice offered  to  the  Lord,  and  shortly  after  they  fell  un- 
der the  sword  of  the  enemy.  Thus  did  God  punish  the 
disobedience  of  Israel.  How  will  He,  then,  punish 
him  who  attacks  His  own  Divine  Person,  in  Whose 
name  altars  are  erected  and  sacrifices  offered?  How 
will  He  punish  him  who  is  guilty  of  the  Body  and 
Blood  of  Jesus  Christ?  It  does  not  admit  of  a  doubt 
that  severer  punishment  awaits  one  who  tramples  upon 

1  Numbei'3  xvi. 
M 


178  ON  UNWORTHY  COMMUNION 

the  Son  of  God,  profanes  the  Blood  of  the  Covenant, 
and  insults  the  Spirit  of  Grace. 

The  Bethsamites  cast  a  curious  glance  at  the  Ark  of 
the  Covenant,  and  not  long  after,  the  ground  was  strewn 
with  their  dead  bodies.  Balthasar  laid  his  profane 
hands  upon  the  sacred  vessels,  and  there  suddenly  ap- 
peared upon  the  opposite  wall  the  fingers  of  a  man's 
hand,  tracing  a  few  words,  in  which  the  sacrilegious 
monarch  read  his  own  sentence  of  death.  Antiochus 
plundered  the  Temple  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  avenging 
hand  of  God  stretched  him  upon  a  bed  of  agonizing 
pain,  where  he  died  of  a  loathsome  disease.  Such  were 
the  chastisements  of  the  Almighty  in  the  Old  Law. 
What,  then,  will  be  the  punishment  of  him  who  dis- 
honors, not  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  but  the  Body  of 
Jesus;  who  not  merely  raises  to  his  polluted  lips  the 
holy  vessels,  but  receives  into  his  sinful  heart  the  thrice 
Holy  God  Himself;  who  draws  the  Lord  of  Hosts  from 
His  sanctuary  to  place  Him  side  by  side  with  Satan  in 
liis  heart;  wrho  becomes  guilty  of  the  Body  and  Blood 
of  Jesus  Christ !  What  punishment  is  there  for  such  a 
one?  Listen  once  more  to  the  words  of  St.  Paul  and 
tremble  !  "  He  who  eats  of  this  bread  and  drinks  of 
this  chalice  unworthily,  eats  and  drinks  judgment  te 
himself!"  What  an  expression!  Eats  and  drinks 
judgment  to  himself!  His  own  condemnation  i  That 
is  to  say,  his  condemnation  penetrates  his  innermost 
being.  It  incorporates  itself  with  him ;  it  flows  in  his 
veins;  it  becomes  one  flesh,  one  blood,  one  being  with 
him.     O  frightful  punishment!     He  eats  and  drinks 


ON  UNWORTHY  COMMUNION.  179 

his  own  judgment !  What  kind  of  judgment  does  he 
eat  and  drink?  A  sentence  of  eternal  damnation;  a 
sentence  of  never-ending  misfortune ;  a  sentence  sealed 
with  the  Blood  of  Christ  Himself;  a  sentence  which  is 
often  carried  into  execution  even  in  this  world !  "You 
see,"  continues  St.  Paul,  "your  houses  daily  falling  into 
ruin ;  you  behold  the  daily  ravages  of  war  and  pesti- 
lence; you  see  how  unexpectedly  death  everywhere 
seizes  upon  its  victims ;  you  see  how  many  among  you 
are  dragging  along  weak  bodies,  never  enjoying  an 
hour's  health." 

Why,  think  you,  do  these  troubles  press  upon  you  ? 
Because  many  among  you  partake  unworthily  of  the 
Body  and  Blood  of  Christ.  The  miserable  end  of  King 
Lothaire  and  his  vassals  is  but  too  evident  an  illustra- 
tion of  this.  Lothaire,  king  of  Lorraine,  conceived  a 
great  dislike  to  his  lawful  queen.  His  eyes  fell  upon 
a  beautiful  young  maid  of  honor  of  his  court,  named 
Waldrada,  and  his  heart  followed  his  eyes.  The  Pope 
was  informed  of  this  scandal,  and  he  commanded  Lo- 
thaire to  quit  his  paramour  and  to  take  back  his  lawful 
wife.  He  threatened  to  excommunicate  the  wicked 
king  in  case  of  refusal.  Lothaire  made  a  thousand 
false  promises ;  he  even  went  to  Rome  in  order  to  be 
absolved  from  the  ban  he  had  incurred.  Pie  requested 
the  Pope  to  reconcile  him  solemnly  during  Mass,  and 
he  wished  to  receive  Holy  Communion  from  the  hands 
of  the  Pope  himself.  The  Pope  took  the  most  prudent 
measures  to  find  out  the  sincerity  of  the  king's  inten- 
tions, but  all  to  no  purpose.     He  then  celebrated  Mass. 


180  ON  UNWORTHY  COMMUNION. 

The  king,  with  many  of  the  nobles  of  his  court,  was 
pres.nl.     The  time  of  Communion  came,  and  the  king, 
with  his  nobles,  went  to  the  ajtar-rail  to  receive.     The 
Pope  then  turned  to  the  monarch,  and  holding  the  sa- 
cred host  in  his  hand,  said  in  a  loud  and  distinct  voice! 
"  O  king,  if  you  are  sincerely  resolved  to  quit  Wal- 
drada  and  to  take  back  your  lawful  wife,  then  receive 
this  Holy  Sacrament  unto  life  everlasting  j  but  if  you 
are  not  sincerely  resolved,  then  do  not  dare  to  profane 
the  sacred  Body  of  Jesus   Christ,  and  eat  your  own 
damnation."     Lothaire  turned  pale  and  trembled,  but 
he  had  already  made  a  sacrilegious  confession,  and  now 
he  sealed  his  doom  by  adding  a  sacrilegious  Commun- 
ion.    The  Pope  turned  then  to  the  noblemen,  who  were 
kneeling  beside  their  king,  and  said  to  them  :  "  If  you 
have  taken  no  part  in  the  crime  of  your  king,  then 
may  the  Body  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  to  you  a 
pledge  of  eternal  salvation."     Some  of  the  noblemen 
were  terrified  and  left  the  altar-rail  without  receiving, 
but  the  greater  part  of  them  followed  the  example  of 
their  king.     They  had  committed  a  fearful  crime,  and 
the  punishment  of  God  was  swift  and  terrible.     The 
king  and  his  suite  quitted  Eome.     They  had  no  sooner 
arrived  at  the  city  of  Lucca  than  they  were  attacked  by 
a  most  malignant  fever,  in  consequence  of  which  they 
lost  their  speech ;  they  were  tormented  by  an  inward 
fire,  and  their  nails,  hair,  and  skin  fell  off,  whilst,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  lives  of  those  of  the  king's  suite 
who  had  left  the  Communion-rail  before  receiving,  were 
spared,  so  that  the  vengeance  of  heaven  was  quite  evident 


ON   UNWORTHY  COMMUNION.  181 

Again,  he  eats  and  drinks  judgment  to  himself! 
What  kind  of  judgment  does  he  eat  and  drink?  A 
sentence  involving  darkness  of  the  understanding  and 
hardness  of  heart,  to  a  most  frightful  degree,  possession 
of  the  devil,  despair,  an  impenitent  death  and  everlast- 
ing malediction.  These  punishments  are,  in  a  particu- 
lar manner,  indicated  by  the  words  of  St.  Paul :  "  He 
eateth  and  drinketh  judgment  to  himself."  Nothing 
makes  any  impression  upon  him;  he  is  no  longer  edified 
at  praiseworthy  actions ;  he  scoffs  at  those  who  practise 
virtue;  all  admonition  is  lost  on  him;  he  does  not  un- 
derstand the  heinousness  of  his  sin.  What  is  here  said 
of  an  unworthy  Communion  he  does  not  believe ;  he  is 
perfectly  indifferent  to  the  affair  of  his  salvation ;  his 
thoughts  no  longer  rise  above  the  narrow  and  impure 
circle  of  earthly  interests ;  he  is  like  a  worm  which,  day 
and  night,  sucks  in  nourishment  from  the  earth,  its 
native  element,  grovelling  all  the  while  in  the  mire ;  he 
cares  little  for  spiritual  things;  eternal  punishment  has 
no  terror  for  him.  In  such  a  condition,  what  is  there 
that  he  would  shrink  from  undertaking  ?  We  might, 
indeed,  say  to  this  wretch  when  he  is  leaving  the  sacred 
table,  what  Jesus  said  to  His  betrayer :  "  What  thou 
wilt  do,  do  quickly ;  go  now  and  accomplish  thy  crim- 
inal designs ;  let  loose  thy  passions,  for,  since  thou  hast 
dared  to  dishonor  the  Body  of  Christ,  nothing  will  ap- 
pear horrible  or  abominable  to  thee,  nothing  will  be 
able  henceforth  to  restrain  thee.  Unhappy  wretch! 
hitherto  thou  hast  been  preserved  from  certain  abomi- 
nations by  an   innate  feeling  of  horror ;  but  now,  go 

16 


182  ON  UNWORTHY  C0MMUN1OJS. 

bravely  forward,  wallow  in  sin,  for  thy  conscience  has 
no  longer  a  reproach  for  thee !  Go  on  in  the  road  to 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah  !  Give  thyself  up  to  the  base 
desires  of  thy  heart ! " 

No,  nothing  makes  an  impression  upon  such  a  heart. 
I  here  speak  of  what  usually  happens.  Our  Lord 
might,  indeed,  mournfully  exclaim  in  his  presence: 
"  Verily,  verily,  one  of  you  is  about  to  betray  me ! " 
It  would  affect  him  but  little.  Should  he  even  hear 
from  Jesus'  own  lips  the  terrible  words,  "  Woe  to  him 
by  whom  the  Son  of  Man  will  be  betrayed/7  he  would 
remain  cold  and  unmoved.  In  vain  would  Jesus  call 
such  a  sinner  '  friend/  and  give  him  the  kiss  of  peace ! 
In  vain  would  He  work  miracles  before  him!  His 
eyes  would  remain  closed ;  or,  if  they  opened,  it  would 
be  only  to  cast  him  into  despair ;  to  urge  him,  like 
Judas,  to  execute  the  sentence  of  his  damnation  j  in  a 
word,  the  spirit  of  darkness,  Satan,  has  taken  complete 
possession  of  him.  Is  not  Judas  a  most  terrible  exam- 
ple of  this  ?  He  received  unworthily,  immediately  the 
devil  entered  into  him ! 

St.  Cyprian  tells  us  of  a  certain  young  woman  who, 
after  an  unworthy  Communion,  was  instantly  possessed 
by  the  devil.  She  became  quite  furious,  and  in  her 
rage  bit  her  tongue  to  pieces,  and  endeavored  to  kill 
herself.  At  last  she  died  in  horrible  agony.  Behold 
the  judgment  of  God !  But  what  is  even  worse  than 
all,  this  sin  dries  up  the  fountain  of  hope  in  the  breast, 
and  plunges  the  unhappy  sinner  into  despair.  Judas 
is  but  too  sad  an  illustration  of  this,  also.  After  his 
sacrilege,  "  he  went  out  and  hanged  himself." 


ON  UNWORTHY  COMMUNION  183 

The  following  example  was  witnessed  by  a  priest  of 
my  acquaintance.     He  was  called  to  the  death-bed  of 
a  young  man.     No  sooner  had  the  dying  youth  per- 
ceived the  Blessed  Sacrament,  than  he  exclaimed  :    "  Be- 
hold  Him  Whom  I  received   unworthily  at    my  first 
Communion ! "  and  turning  his  face  towards  the  wall, 
he  expired.     Here,  then,  you  see  again  a  verification  of 
the  Divine  Justice,  which   is  the   most   terrible  of  all 
that  could  be  inflicted  in  this  life!     I  say,  in  this  life, 
for,  in  the  life  to  come,  there  is   another  scourge  still 
more  dreadful,  namely,  that  remorse  which  will  fill  the 
soul  of  the  sacrilegious   communicant  for  all  eternity. 
Here,  however,  description  is  baffled.     Words  are  in- 
adequate to  express  or  describe  it.     The  story  of  the 
wanderer    mentioned    in   the    "Spiritual    Meadows/' 
furnishes  but  a  feeble  illustration  of  it.     There  was  a 
certain    convent    of  most   austere  discipline,    presided 
over  by  an  abbot  of  strict  and  holy  life.     One  day  a 
stranger  came  to  this  convent  asking  admission.     He 
was  received  and  lived  there  for  nine  years  in  the  prac- 
tice of  the  most  rigorous  penance.     At  the  end  of  that 
time,  he  came  to  the  abbot  and  told  him,  that  an  infant, 
whom  he  had  slain  when  he  followed  the  life  of  a  high- 
wayman, had  appeared  to  him  and   said  in  the  most 
heart-rending  tone  of  voice:  " Why  didst   thou  kill 
me?"     The  abbot  treated  the  poor  man  as  if  he  were 
the  victim  of  a  diseased  imagination,  and  bade  him  go 
work  in  the  garden.     He  did  so,  but  the  voice  still 
rang  in  his  ears:     "  Why  didst  thou  kill   me?"     He 
went  to  the  church  to  pray,  but  the  voice  followed  him 


184  ON  UNWORTHY  COMMUNION. 

thither.  At  last,  no  longer  able  to  endure  his  suffer- 
ings, he  threw  off  the  religious  habit,  went  to  the  civil 
magistrate,  confessed  his  crime,  and  begged  to  be  con- 
demned to  death.  His  request  was  granted  and  he  was 
executed.  O  !  if  remorse  can  inflict  so  terrible  a  sting 
in  this  life,  what  will  it  be  to  hear  the  eternal  cry  of 
conscience  in  the  caverns  of  hell;  the  eternal  maledic- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ  against  those  who  have  outraged 
Him  in  the  Most  Holy  Sacrament ! 

Such,  then,  is  the  life  and  death  of  the  sacrilegious 
communicant.  Such  is  the  vengeance  of  God.  Hav- 
ing committed  deicide,  he  must  be  punished  as  such. 
Yes,  the  Bread  of  Life  becomes  in  his  mouth  the  bread 
of  malediction  for  body  and  soul,  for  time  and  eternity, 
unless  he  repent,  do  suitable  penance,  and  receive  par- 
don from  a  merciful  God,  who  never  repels  a  sinner 
who  has  a  contrite  and  humble  heart.  An  efficacious 
means  for  obtaining  this  grace  is,  to  have  recourse  to 
the  Mother  of  God,  that  by  her  powerful  intercession, 
she  may  prevail  upon  the  heart  of  her  Divine  Son  to 
forgive  the  crime  with  its  punishment,  and  obtain  for 
the  unworthy  communicant  courage  to  confess  his  sin, 
and  the  gift  of  tears  to  weep  over  it,  in  order  that  thus, 
through  the  merits  of  the  same  Blood  which  condemned 
him,  he  may  receive  again  by  the  sacramental  absolu- 
tion the  grace  of  justification. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

ON  SPIRITUAL  COMMUNION. 

HEN  a  soul  has  once  begun  to  practise  fre- 
quent Communion,  she  can  no  longer  live 
without  it.  Even  if  she  were  to  communi- 
cate every  day,  it  would  seem  too  little.  She 
would  desire,  if  possible,  to  receive  our  Lord  every 
moment.  It  is  the  Blessed  Sacrament  itself  which  pro- 
duces this  effect,  for  such  is  the  sweetness  of  that  Divine 
Food,  that  they  that  eat  it  still  hunger,  and  they  that 
drink  it  thirst  again.  It  is  our  Lord  Himself  Who 
excites  this  desire  in  the  hearts  of  the  faithful,  and  He 
also  has  provided  a  means  of  satisfying  it.  While  He 
was  yet  on  earth  He  not  only  imparted  many  graces  to 
those  who  were  near  Him,  but  He  also  wrought  many 
miracles  in  behalf  of  those  who  were  at  a  distance.  In 
like  manner,  He  now  not  only  bestows  many  graces 
upon  us  when  He  actually  enters  our  hearts  in  Holy 
Communion,  but  He  also  imparts  many  to  us  by  means 
of  Spiritual  Communion.  St.  Catherine  of  Sienna, 
whilst  on  one  occasion  assisting  at  the  Mass  of  her  Con- 
fessor, St.  Raymund,  felt  the  most  ardent  desire  to  be 
united  to  Jesus  Christ ;  but  as  she  had  been  forbidden 
to  communicate,  she  did  not  dare  to  receive.  Our  Lord, 
16*  185 


186  ON  SPIRITUAL   COM M UNION. 

however,  was  so  moved  by  the  fervor  of  her  love,  that 
Pie  worked  a  miracle  in  her  favor.     At  that  part  of  the 
Mass  in  which  the  priest  breaks  the  Sacred  Host  into 
three  pieces,  the  smallest  portion  disappeared  from  the 
Altar,  flew  through  the  air  and  rested  upon  the  tongue 
of  St.  Catherine.     St.  Raymund  was  much  disturbed 
at  the  disappearance  of  the  particle,  but  the  Saint  re- 
lieved his  anxiety  by  telling  him  that  our  Lord  Him- 
self had  been  pleased  to  communicate  her,  in  reward 
for  her  great  desire  for  Holy  Communion.     He  displays 
a  similar  love  towards  every  one  who  has  a  true  desire 
to  be  united  to  Him.     As  soon  as  a  soul  ardently  de- 
sires to  receive  our  Lord  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  He 
comes  to  satisfy  her  desire,  not,  indeed,  as  He  did  to 
St.  Catherine,  under  the  Sacramental  species,  but  by 
the  way  of  Spiritual  Communion.     This  devotion  is  so 
full  of  grace  and  consolation,  that  it  is  of  the  greatest 
importance  that  every  one  should  know  how  to  prac- 
tise it.     I  will,  therefore,  say  a  word  in  explanation 
of  it. 

Spiritual  Communion,  according  to  St.  Thomas,  con- 
sists in  an  ardent  desire  to  receive  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  in  the  Most  Holy  Sacrament.  It  is  performed 
by  making  an  act  of  faith  in  the  presence  of  Jesus 
Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and  then  an  act  of 
love,  and  an  act  of  contrition  for  having  offended  Him. 
The  soul  then  invites  Him  to  come  and  unite  Himself 
to  her  and  make  her  entirely  His  own;  and  lastly  she 
thanks  Him,  as  if  she  had  really  received  Him  sacra- 
mentally.     The  Spiritual  Communion  may  be  mado  in 


ON  SPIRITUAL  COMMUNION.  187 

tkd  following  manner :  "Omy  Jesus,  I  firmly  believe 
that  Thou  art  truly  and  really  present  in  the  Most  Holy 
Sacrament.  I  love  Thee  with  my  whole  heart,  and  be- 
cause I  love  Thee,  I  am  sorry  for  having  offended  Thee. 
I  long  to  possess  Thee  within  my  soul ;  but  as  I  can- 
not now  receive  Thee  sacramentally,  come  at  least  in 
spirit  into  my  heart.  I  unite  myself  to  Thee  as  if 
Thou  wert  already  there;  never  let  me  be  separated 
from  Thee."  The  graces  which  are  bestowed  in  this 
way  are  so  great  that  they  may  be  likened  to  those 
which  are  imparted  by  an  actual  reception  of  the  Sac- 
rament. 

One  day  our  Lord  Himself  told  St.  Jane  of  the  Cross, 
that  as  often  as  she  communicated  spiritually,  she  re- 
ceived a  grace  similar  to  that  which  she  received  from 
her  Sacramental  Communions.  He  also  appeared  to 
Sister  Paula  Maresca,  foundress  of  the  Convent  of  St. 
Catherine  of  Sienna  at  Naples,  with  two  vessels,  one  of 
gold  and  the  other  of  silver,  and  told  her  that  in*  the 
golden  vessel  He  preserved  her  Sacramental  Commun- 
ions, and  in  the  silver  vessel  her  spiritual  Communions. 
The  Fathers  of  the  Church  go  so  far  as  to  say,  that  one 
who  has  a  very  great  desire  for  Communion,  accompa- 
nied with  great  reverence  and  humility,  may  sometimes 
receive  even  more  graces  than  another  who,  without 
these  dispositions,  should  actually  receive  our  Lord  in 
the  Sacramental  species;  for,  as  the  Psalmist  says : 
"  The  Lord  hears  the  desire  of  the  poor,  and  fills  their 
hearts  with  good  things."  The  advantages  of  this  mode 
of  Communion  are  very  great.     To  practise  it  you  will 


18S  OF  SPIRITUAL  COMMUNION. 

not  need  to  go  to  church,  or  make  a  long  preparation, 
or  remain  fasting  j  you  will  not  need  to  ask  the  per- 
mission of  your  confessor,  or  to  seek  a  priest  to  give  it 
to  you  as  in  Holy  Communion.  Hence  the  venerable 
Jane  of  the  Cross  used  to  say :  "  O  my  Lord,  what  an 
excellent  mode  of  receiving  without  being  seen  or  re- 
marked ;  without  giving  trouble  to  my  spiritual  Father, 
or  depending  on  any  one  but  Thee,  Who,  in  solitude, 
dost  nourish  my  soul  and  speak  to  my  heart." 

But  the  chief  advantage  of  Spiritual  Communion  is, 
that  it  may   be  so  often  repeated.     You  can  receive 
Sacramental  Communion,  at  most,  but  once  a  day,  but 
Spiritual  Communion  you  may  receive  as  often  as  you 
please.     St.  Alphonsus  advises  one  who  wishes  to  lead  a 
devout  life  to  make  Spiritual  Communions  at  his  medi- 
tations,  at  his  visits   to  the  Blessed   Sacrament,   and 
whenever  he   hears  Mass.     But  especially   he  should 
endeavor  to  multiply  them  on  the  eve  of  his  Commun- 
ions, because,  as  Father  Faber  of  the  Society  of  Jesus 
remarks,  they  are  most  powerful  means  to  attain  the 
dispositions   necessary   for  a  good   Communion.     The 
saints  were  much  addicted  to  this  devotion. 

The  Blessed  Angela  of  the  Cross,  a  Dominican  nun, 
was  accustomed  to  make  a  hundred  Spiritual  Commun- 
ions every  day,  and  a  hundred  more  every  night,  and 
she  used  to  say  :  "If  my  confessor  had  not  taught  me 
this  method  of  communicating,  I  could  scarcely  live." 
If  you  ask  how  she  could  make  so  many,  I  answer 
with  St.  Augustine:  "Give  me  a  lover,  and  he  will 
understand;  give  me  a  soul  that  loves  nothing  but 
Jesus  Christ,  and  she  will  know  how  to  do  it." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

CONSIDERATIONS  ON  THE  VIRTUES  THAT 
JESUS  CHRIST  TEACHES  US  IN  THE  MOST 
HOLY  SACRAMENT  OF  THE  ALTAR. 


ALTERED    PROM    CRASSET. 


I.  —  Poverty. 

ESUS,  in  the  Most  Holy  Sacrament  of  the 
altar,  is  a  Master  Who  teaches  us  every  vir- 
tue. On  earth  He  led  a  life  of  poverty.  On 
the  altar,  too,  we  behold  Him  stripped  of 
everything.  It  is  the  same  to  Him  whether  He  be  in 
a  city  or  in  a  village ;  and  He  dwells  as  cheerfully  in  a 
ciborium  of  copper  as  in  one  of  gold  or  of  silver.  In 
heaven  He  has  a  royal  retinue,  but  on  earth,  who  keeps 
Him  company  ?  "I  am  a  man/'  He  says,  "  Who  sees 
His  poverty."  We,  too,  see  the  poverty  of  Jesus ;  but 
oh  !  how  slow  are  we  to  imitate  it !  Our  affections  are 
fixed  on  fine  dwellings,  good  food,  good  clothing,  good 
attendance !  We  dislike  to  feel  the  want  tff  anything, 
or  to  suffer  the  slightest  inconvenience,  just  as  though 

189 


190         ON  THE  VIRTUES  TEAT  JESUS  CHRIST 

the  Son  of  God  had  said :  "  Blessed  are  the  rich,  but 
not  the  poor;  blessed  are  those  that  laugh,  but  not 
those  that  weep." 


II. — Humility. 

An  humble  soul  debases  herself  before  God,  and 
acknowledges  her  absolute  dependence  upon  Him. 
Mean  and  despicable  in  her  own  eyes,  she  accepts 
humiliations  and  contempt  with  cheerfulness.  She  is 
obedient  to  every  one,  and  regards  herself  as  the  lowest, 
the  vilest  of  creatures.  She  carefully  conceals  the 
graces  with  which  God  enriches  her ;  she  always  seeks 
the  last  place,  and  flies  the  praises  of  men,  content  to 
be  praised  by  God  alone.  In  the  Most  Holy  Sacrament, 
Jesus  offers  Himself  to  honor  His  heavenly  Father. 
Concealing  His  Divinity  and  Humanity  under  the 
appearances  of  bread  and  wine,  He  assumes  a  condition 
far  more  humiliating  than  that  to  which  He  reduced 
Himself,  in  the  crib,  on  the  cross,  or  in  the  grave. 
Nay,  He  exposes  Himself  to  the  contempt,  to  the  in- 
sults of  idolaters,  heretics  and  bad  Catholics.  And 
what  is  worse,  He  even  submits  to  the  horrible  outrage 
of  sacrilegious  Communion.  "In  truth,  Thou  art  a 
hidden  God,  my  God  and  my  Lord ! "  Thou  art  an 
humble  God,  and  I  am  a  proud  creature  !  Thou  fleest 
honors,  and  I  seek  them  !  Thou  seek  est  humiliations, 
and  I  fly  them  ! 


TEACHES  US  IN  THE  MOST  HOLY  SACRAMENT.       191 


III. — Patience. 

The  body  of  the  Son  of  God,  under  the  sacramental 
veils,  is,  indeed,  incapable  of  suffering,  yet  the  love  for 
sufferings  which  ever  consumed  the  heart  of  Jesus,  is 
in  no  wise  diminished.  It  was  to  leave  us  an  eternal 
memorial  of  His  passion  that  our  Lord  instituted  this 
divine  Sacrament.  He  commemorates  His  sufferings, 
and  He  is  desirous  that  we,  too,  should  preserve  the 
recollection  of  them.  But  though  His  Sacred  Body  is 
now  incapable  of  suffering,  His  divine  Person  is  still 
sensible  to  every  insult  that  is  offered  to  Him  !  Oh ! 
who  can  enumerate  the  outrages  heaped  upon  Jesus  in 
this  Sacrament  of  His  love  ?  Consider  the  affronts  He 
daily  receives  from  atheists,  heretics,  superstitious 
persons,  and  particularly  from  bad  Catholics.  Think 
of  the  crimes,  the  sins  of  irreverence  that  are  committed 
in  His  churches,  in  His  own  Divine  Presence !  Think 
of  all  the  bad  and  sacrilegious  Communions  that  are 
made !  O  Jesus  !  What  admirable  lessons  of  patience 
dost  Thou  not  daily  give  us  in  this  Divine  Sacrament ! 
But,  alas !  I  profit  so  little  by  them !  I  am  so 
passionate,  so  impatient !  I  am  unwilling  to  suffer 
anything  from  God  or  man.  I  cannot  bear  anything 
from  my  superiors,  equals  or  inferiors.  I  am  a  burden 
to  myself,  and  yet  I  wish  that  every  one  should  bear 
with  me.     How  unreasonable ! 


192  OiV  THE  VIRTUES  THAT  JESUS  CHRIST 


IV.  —  Obedience. 

It  was  in  obedience  to  His  heavenly  Father,  that  the 
Son  of  God  became  man  —  it  was  in  obedience  that  His 
Blessed   Mother  conceived  Him.     He  was  born  while 
obeying  an  earthly  emperor.    He  lived  under  obedience 
to  His  parents,  and  died  out  of  obedience  to  His  heav- 
enly Father,  and  to  His  unjust  judges.     Although  He 
now  reigns  in  heaven,  yet  He  is  ever  ready  to  obey 
man.     He  obeys  all  His  priests,  the  bad  as  well  as  the 
good.     He  obeys  at  all  hours,  by  day  and  by  night. 
Pie  obeys  instantly.     JSTo  sooner  are  the  words  of  con 
secration  pronounced  by  the  priest,  than  Jesus  is  in 
stantly  present.     He  obeys  in  all  places  wherever  the. 
Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  is  offered,  whether  it  be  on 
land  or  at  sea,  in   a  village  or  in  a  city,  in  a  stately 
church  or  in  an  humble  chapel.     He  submits  to  every 
sort  of  treatment.     He  suffers  Himself  to  be  preserved, 
to  be  consumed,  to  be  given  to  all  kinds  of  persons. 
He  obeys  without  resistance,  without  complaint,  with- 
out showing  the  least  unwillingness.     Christian  soul ! 
dost  thou  obey  in  this  manner?     Dost  thou  obey  all 
thy   superiors   without   exception?      Dost   thou   obey 
blindly  ?     Dost  thou  obey  at  all  times,  in  all  things, 
always  showing  that  thou  art  an  humble  servant  of  the 
Lord,  ready  to  follow  the  commands  of  thy  superiors  ? 


TEACHES  US  IN  THE  MOST  HOLY  SACRAMENT.      193 


V.  —  Mortification. 

The  whole  life  of  Jesus  was  one  of  continual  morti- 
fication. He  is  now  forever  happy  in  heaven ;  never- 
theless, He  has  found  a  means  to  teach  us  by  His  own 
example,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world,  how  to  mortify 
our  senses,  our  will,  and  our  judgment.  He  mortifies 
His  judgment  by  suffering  Himself  to  be  disposed  of, 
according  to  the  good  pleasure  of  His  priests,  to  be  car- 
ried whithersoever  they  will — to  be  used  for  good  or  bad 
purposes,  just  as  if  He  were  entirely  blind  and  helpless. 
He  mortifies  His  will  in  bearing  the  numberless  in- 
dignities that  are  offered  to  His  Holiness,  to  His  Ma- 
jesty and  to  His  other  divine  Perfections.  He  mortifies 
His  senses  by  remaining  present  in  the  Sacred  Host  as 
if  He  were  dead.  He  mortifies  His  tongue  by  keeping 
continually  a  profound  silence.  He  mortifies  His  whole 
body,  uniting  Himself  to  mere  lifeless  appearances,  and 
remaining  day  and  night  in  the  tabernacle  as  in  a  prison 
of  love.  O  my  soul !  addicted  as  thou  art  to  sensual 
pleasures,  what  union  can  there  be  between  thee  and 
the  mortified  and  crucified  body  of  Jesus  Christ?  The 
holy  Sacrament  continually  reminds  thee  of  His  passion, 
and  thou  holdest  suffering  in  horror!  His  life  under 
the  sacramental  veils  is  entirely  spiritual,  and  thine  is 
entirely  sensual ! 

17  N 


194  ON  THE  VIRTUES  THAT  JESUS  CHRIST 


VI. — Love  of  God. 

Jesus  teaches  us  also  in  this  Sacrament,  how  we 
ought  to  love  God.  If  we  love  God  truly,  we  will  per- 
form His  will  in  all  things ;  we  will  keep  His  com- 
mandments, we  will  suffer  much  for  Him,  and  sacrifice 
ourselves  to  His  honor.  This  is  what  Jesus  teaches  us 
on  our  altars.  He  sacrifices  Himself  daily,  nay,  hourly, 
for  the  honor  of  His  Father  and  for  the  good  of  men. 
He  has  thus  found  out  a  means  to  renew. His  death  in 
a  mystical  manner,  at  all  times  and  in  all  places.  All 
men  should  offer  themselves  to  God,  in  order  to  ac- 
knowledge their  dependence  upon  Him ;  to  thank  Him 
for  His  numberless  benefits,  to  ask  new  blessings  from 
Him,  and  to  atone  for  their  sins.  Jesus  Christ,  as  the 
head  of  the  human  race,  has  taken  upon  Himself  this 
obligation,  and  daily  offers  Himself  to  pay  homage  to 
God  for  all  men,  to  give  thanks  to  God  for  all  the 
graces  they  have  received  from  Him,  to  make  satisfac- 
tion to  His  Justice  so  often  offended  by  their  grievous 
crimes,  and  to  obtain  for  them  all  the  graces  necessary 
for  soul  and  body.  O  wretch  that  I  am!  A  God 
takes  upon  Himself  my  sins,  He  lays  down  His  life  to 
deliver  me  from  death,  and  He  bears  for  love  of  me  a 
thousand  insults,  and  I  in  return  despise  and  offend 
Him,  I  only  provoke  His  anger  more  and  more :  I  am 
unwilling  to  suffer  the  least  thing  for  Him,  and  thus  I 
render  His  passion  and  death  fruitless  to  me.  What 
ingratitude  !  What  hardness  of  heart !  What  cruelty 
and  injustice! 


TEACHES  US  IN  THE  MOST  HOLY  SACRAMENT.      195 


VII. — Love  of  our  Neighbor. 

One  of  the  .objects  of  the  Incarnation  was  to  reunite 
men  in  the  bonds  of  charity  which  had  been  severed  by 
sin.  Jesus  Christ  made  this  charity  an  express  com- 
mandment. He  calls  it  His  only  commandment.  He 
declares  that  it  is  the  true  mark  of  His  religion.  To 
preserve  this  charity,  He  has  left  us  His  Body  and  His 
Blood  under  the  appearances  of  bread  and  wine,  in 
order  that,  partaking  of  one  bread,  we  may  also  be  one 
body  and  one  soul.  And  the  more  to  ensure  the  prac- 
tice of  charity  among  men,  He  has  made  our  natural 
desire  for  happiness  the  motive  for  loving  one  another. 
He  has  commanded  us  to  partake  of  His  Body  and 
Blood  under  pain  of  eternal  damnation ;  and  the  in- 
dispensable condition  to  our  receiving  this  heavenly 
food  is  charity.  But  not  content  with  all  this,  He  con^ 
tinually  gives  us  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  most  per- 
suasive lessons  of  charity.  While  other  shepherds 
clothe  themselves  with  the  wool  of  their  flocks,  and 
feed  on  their  flesh,  Jesus  Christ,  the  Good  Shepherd, 
strips  Himself  in  order  to  clothe  us;  He  even  gives 
us  His  Flesh  and  Blood  for  our  food;  and  when  a 
devout  soul,  transported  at  a  favor  so  divine,  asks 
how  she  may  repay  so  great  a  benefit,  He  replies : 
"Do  good  to  your  fellow-men,  and  I  will  hold  you 
discharged  of  all  your  debts  to  Me  ?  Whatsoever  you 
do  to  them  I  will  count  it  as  done  to  Me."  "  Does 
it  seem  hard  to  you,"  He  says,  "  to  love  your  neighbor  ? 


196     ON  THE  VIRTUES  TAUGHT  IN  THE  SACRAMENT. 

Consider,  then,  how  I  have  loved  you.  Does  it  seem 
hard  to  you  to  give  and  to  forgive  f  Then  think  whether 
you  are  ever  required  to  give  anything  as  precious  as 
the  food  which  I  give  to  you.  Think  whether  you 
have  ever  to  suffer  as  many  affronts  as  I  have  suffered 
for  your  sake  in  this  Sacrament  of  love !  Is  the  dis- 
ciple greater  than  his  master,  or  the  servant  above  his 
lord  ?  Go,  then,  and  do  to  others  what  I  have  done  to 
you."  O  Jesus  !  Thou  hast  conquered.  We  give  our 
hearts  to  Thee  that  Thou  mayst  make  them  humble 
and  gentle.  O  Thou,  the  Well-Beloved  of  the  Father, 
Who  comest  on  earth  and  dwellest  in  our  tabernacles' 
in  order  to  impart  to  men  Thy  Divine  Spirit  of  Charity,' 
take  from  us  all  selfishness  and  hardness  of  heart,  and 
teach  us  how  to  love  one  another. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


THE  MOST   HOLY  FESTIVAL    OF    CORPUS 
CHRISTI  AND  ITS   ORIGIN.       * 

ANY  a  century  had  passed  over  the  Church 
of  Christ  before  there  was  any  distinct  feast 
of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and  when,  in  the 
thirteenth  century,  our  Lord  chose  that  it 
should  be  instituted,  He  had  recourse  to  a  holy  nun, 
in  a  vision,  to  be  the  instrument  of  this  devotion  in 
His  Church.  St.  Thomas  was  living  then,  and  so  was 
St.  Louis ;  but  God  chose  neither  the  learning  of  the 
one  nor  the  royal  power  of  the  other  to  be  the  means  of 
executing  His  desire.  From  the  age  of  sixteen,  for 
many  years,  a  vision  perpetually  haunted  a  young  Bel- 
gian nun,  Juliana  of  Eetinne,  whenever  she  knelt  in 
prayer.  A  brilliant  moon  continually  appeared  before 
her,  with  one  small  portion  obscured  and  invisible,  She 
tried  in  vain  to  chase  the  vision  away ;  at  last  our  Lord 
Himself  came  to  explain  it  to  her.  He  said  it  was  to 
show  that  the  ritual  year  of  the  Church  would  remain 
incomplete  until  the  Blessed  Sacrament  had  a  feast  of 
its  own,  and  He  wished  it  to  be  instituted  for  the  fol- 
lowing reasons :  —  v 

17*  1G7 


198  THE  MOST  HOLY  FESTIVAL  OF 

1st.  In  order  that  the  Catholic  doctrine  might  re- 
ceive aid  from  the  institution  of  this  festival,  at  a  time 
when  the  faith  of  the  world  was  growing  cold  and 
heresies  were  rife. 

2dly.  That  the  faithful,  who  love  and  seek  truth  and 
piety,  may  be  enabled  to  draw  from  this  source  of  life 
new  strength  and  vigor  to  walk  continually  in  the  way 
of  virtue. 

3dly.  That  irreverence  and  sacrilegious  behavior  to- 
wards the  Divine  Majesty  in  this  adorable  Sacrament 
may,  by  sincere  and  profound  adoration,  be  extirpated 
and  repaired. 

Lastly.  He  bade  her  announce  to  the  Christian  world 
His  will  that  this  feast  should  be  observed. 

Tremblingly  the  maiden  received  the  command,  and 
heartily  did  she  pray  to  be  released  from  the  charge. 
Our  Lord  answered  her,  that  the  solemn  devotion 
which  He  ordered  to  be  observed,  was  to  be  begun  by 
her,  and  to  be  propagated  by  the  poor  and  lowly. 
Twenty  long  years  had  passed  away  and  the  secret  still 
lay  hidden  in  Juliana's  breast ;  she  dared  not  reveal  it 
to  any  one,  and  yet  an  interior  impulse  urged  her  on. 
So  terrible  was  her  repugnance  that  she  shed  tears  of 
blood  over  it.  At  length  she  imparted  it  to  her  con- 
fessor, and,  with  her  leave,  he  consulted  others,  espe- 
cially James  de  Threzis,  Archdeacon  at  the  Cathedral 
of  Liege.  This  priest  was  afterwards,  for  his  piety  and 
learning,  elected  Bishop  of  Verdun,  then  Patriarch  of 
Jerusalem,  and  at  last  Pope  of  Rome,  called  Urban  IV 

From  that  time  it  became  a  public  question,  ana 


CORPUS  OHBISTI  AND  ITS  ORIGIN.  199 

rarely  were  men  divided  upon  it.  Canons  and  monks 
protested  against  the  new  devotion,  and  urged  that  the 
daily  sacrifice  was  sufficient  to  commemorate  the  love 
of  Jesus  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  without  a  special  day 
being  particularly  assigned  for  that  purpose.  But  the 
faithful  nun  prayed  on;  civil  discord  raged  around  her; 
the  city  where  she  lived  was  lost  and  won,  sacked  by  a 
lawless  army,  and  retaken;  three  successive  convents 
were  either  burned  or  otherwise  destroyed  over  her 
head,  yet  no  earthly  troubles  could  make  her  forget  the 
task  which  her  Lord  had  assigned  her.  She  died  be- 
fore it  was  accomplished,  yet  she  had  done  enough  in 
her  lifetime  to  provide  for  its  execution.  In  her  wan- 
derings, she  had  met  with  a  few  men  with  devotion  to 
feel  and  learning  to  defend  the  feast  of  the  Blessed  Sac- 
rament. When  she  was  in  her  grave,  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff,  Urban  IV.,  wrote  to  inform  one  of  her  com- 
panions that  he  himself  had  celebrated  the  feast,  with 
the  Cardinals,  in  the  holy  city.  The  triumph  of  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  was  complete ;  St.  Thomas  Aquinas 
composed  its  office;  the  devotion  spread  through  the 
length  and  breadth  of  Europe. 

From  that  time  to  this  every  church  in  a  Catholic 
country,  from  the  Cathedral  of  a  royal  city  to  the  vil- 
lage chapel,  keeps  the  festival.  The  procession  issues 
into  the  streets  followed  by  the  authorities  of  the  realm ; 
it  is  the  public  recognition,  by  the  Catholic  world,  of 
Jesus  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  The  prophetic  eye  of 
our  Lord  saw  in  the  futurity  this  very  doctrine  attacked 
and  the  faith  in  sore  danger.     In  the  full  career  of  the 


200  THE  MOST  110  L  Y  FESTIVAL  OF 

victory  of  His  Church,  in  the  zenith  of  medieval  splen- 
dor, He  foresaw  our  times.  Surely  no  omen  was  ever 
better  fulfilled  than  that  which  promised  the  Church 
good  service,  by  the  institution  of  the  feast  of  Corpus 
Christi.  In  France  it  has  survived  every  revolution ; 
its  re-establishment  has  ever  been  the  measure  of  the 
Church's  power,  and  the  proof  of  her  return.  It  is  the 
dove  with  the  olive-branch  which  proclaims  the  passing 
away  of  the  mighty  deluge.  The  memory  of  the  pro- 
cession in  which,  when  a  child,  he  scattered  flowers 
before  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  as  it  passed  through  the 
streets,  is  a  hold  on  the  very  libertine,  and  the  pledge 
of  his  final  conversion.  The  civil  and  military  pomp 
displayed  is  a  proof  that  the  country  is  still  Catholic, 
and  the  very  infidel  compelled  to  pass  the  Blessed  Sac- 
rament head  uncovered,  or  to  remain  within  his  house, 
bears  witness  to. the  fact  that  public  opinion  is  Christian, 
and  to  the  triumph  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament.1 

I  believe,  dear  reader,  that  for  your  edification  and 
instruction,  concerning  the  Most  Holy  Feast  of  our 
divine  Redeemer's  Sacred  Body,  I  can  place  nothing 
better  before  you  than  the  Brief  of  Urban  IV.,  which 
runs  thus : 

"  Ueban,  Bishop, 

Servant  of  the  Servants  of  God,  to  our  Venerable  Breth- 
ren, the  Patriarchs,  Archbishops,  and  other  Prelates 
of  the  Church: 
"  When  our  Lord  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ,  ere  He 

left  the  world  and  returned  to  His  Father,  ate,  on  the 

1  John  Bern  Dalgairns,  priest  of  the  Orat.  of  St.  Philip  Neri. 


CORPUS  CHR1STI  AND  ITS  ORIGIN.  201 

eve  of  His  passion,  the  Last  Supper  with  His  disciples, 
He  instituted  the  Most  Holy  and  precious  Sacrament 
of  His  Body  and  Blood,  in  which  He  gave  us  the  for- 
mer for  our  food  and  the  latter  for  our  drink ;  '  for  as 
often  as  we  eat  of  this  bread  and  drink  of  this  chalice, 
we  show  the  death  of  our  Lord/  At  the  institution  of 
this  mystery,  He  said  to  His  Apostles:  'Do  this  m 
commemoration  of  Me?  —  giving  them  to  understand 
that  the  great  and  adorable  Sacrament,  which  He  then 
instituted,  was  the  greatest  and  most  excellent  remem- 
brance of  His  infinite  love  towards  us ;  an  admirable, 
agreeable,  sweet,  secure,  and  supremely  excellent  re- 
membrance, in  which  all  the  benefits  of  God  are  re- 
newed, above  all  comprehension,  in  which  we  can  find 
every  pleasure,  every  sweetness  and  the  most  secure 
pledge  of  eternal  life.  It  is  the  sweetest,  holiest,  and 
most  salutary  remembrance,  which  recalls  to  our  mind 
the  great  grace  of  our  Eedemption,  which  keeps  us 
from  evil  and  strengthens  us  in  good,  which  promotes 
our  advancement  in  virtue  and  grace,  our  divine  Sa- 
viour producing  in  us  all  these  effects  by  His  real 
presence. 

"  The  other  mysteries  which  the  Church  reveres,  we 
adore  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  but  in  none  of  them  do  we 
enjoy  the  real  presence  thereof.  It  is  only  in  the  com- 
memoration of  the  Last  Supper  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
truly  present  and  truly  with  us.  When  He  ascended 
into  heaven,  He  said  to  His  apostles  and  disciples: 
Behold  I  will  be  with  you  unto  the  end  of  the  world/ 
die  said  this  in  order  to  console  them  for  His  absence, 


202  THE  MOST  HOLY  FESTIVAL  03 

and  to  assure  them  that  He  would  always  remain  evfe.4 
corporally  in  their  midst.    O  worthy  and  ever  adorable 
remembrance,  which  reminds  us  that  death  has  lost  its 
sting,  and  that  we  are  saved  from  ruin,  since  the  living 
Body  of  the  Lord,  which  was  raised  upon  the  wood  of 
the  Cross,  has  restored  life  to  us.     It  is  a  most  glorious 
remembrance,  which  fills  the  faithful  with  salutary  joy, 
and  causes  them,  in  the  effusion  of  their  joy,  to  weep 
tears  of  thanksgiving.     We  exult  at  the  remembrance 
of  our  Eedemption,  and,  because  it  reminds  us  of  the 
death  of  Jesus,  Who  purchased  us,  we  cannot  restrain 
our  tears.     Over  this  mystery,  which  prepares  joy  for 
us  and  elicits  our  tears,  we  rejoice  weepingly  and  weep 
joyfully,  because  our  hearts  are  entranced  with  joy  at 
the  remembrance  of  so  great  a  benefit,  and,  in  the  sense 
of  the  most  just  gratitude  which  we  owe  it,  we  cannot 
refrain  from  tears.    O  infinite,  divine  love  !    O  exceed- 
ingly great  condescension  of  our  God  !     O  astounding 
niracle  of  His   liberality  !     Not  enough   to  make  us 
masters  of  the  goods  of  this  world,  He  even  places  all 
creatures  at  our  command.     This  was  not  even  enough 
for  His  goodness  to  us.     He  raised  man  to  so  great  a 
dignity,  as  to  give  him  Angels  to  guard  him,  and  celes- 
tial spirits  to  serve  him,  and  to  guide  the  elect  to  the 
possession  of  the  inheritance  which  is  prepared  for  them 
in  heaven. 

"After  so  many  brilliant  proofs  of  His  munificence, 
He  has  given  us  a  still  greater  pledge  of  His  unspeak- 
able charity,  by  bestowing  Himself  oh  us.  Exceeding 
the  very  fulness  of  His  gifts,  and  the  very  measure  of 


CORPUS  CHRISTI  AND  ITS  ORIGIN.  203 

His  love,  He  offers  Himself  for  our  food  and  drink. 
O  sublime  and  admirable  liberality,  in  which  the  Giver 
is  the  Gift,  and  the  Gift  is  the  very  one  Who  gives ! 
O  unexampled  liberality,  by  which  He  gives  Himself! 
Our  God  has  given  Himself  to  be  our  food,  because 
man,  condemned  to  death,  as  he  is,  can  be  restored  to 
life  by  this  means  only.  By  eating  the  forbidden  fruit 
he  incurred  death,  and  by  partaking  of  the  tree  of  life, 
he  has  been  redeemed.  In  the  former  was  the  sting  of 
death,  in  the  latter  the  food  of  life.  By  eating  the  for- 
mer he  inflicted  a  wound  upon  himself,  by  eating  of  the 
latter  he  recovered  health.  Thus  the  partaking  of  the 
one  food  wounded  him,  the  partaking  of  the  other 
healed  him.  Wound  and  cure  proceed  from  the  same 
source,  and  what  entailed  death  upon  us  has  restored 
us  to  life.  Of  the  former  it  is  said :  '  On  the  day  on 
which  you  shall  eat  thereof,  you  shall  die  the  death;' 
and  of  the  latter,  i  He  that  eats  of  this  bread  shall  live 
for  ever/  O  substantial  food,  which  perfectly  satisfies 
and  truly  nourishes,  not  the  body,  but  the  heart ;  not 
the  flesh,  but  the  soul ! 

"  Our  compassionate  Eedeemer,  Who  knew  that  man 
needed  spiritual  nourishment,  has,  in  this  institution  of 
charity  and  mercy,  prepared  for  his  soul  the  most  pre- 
cious and  most  nourishing  food  that  His  wisdom  could 
devise.  Neither  could  any  work  have  been  better  be- 
fitting the  Divine  liberality  and  charity,  than  that  the 
Eternal  Word  of  God,  Who  is  the  real  food,  and  the 
real  repast  of  the  reasonable  creature,  should,  after  He 
was  made  flesh,  give  Himself  to  flesh  and  blood,  that 


204  TEE  MOST  HOLY  FESTIVAL  OF 

is  to  say,  to  man,  for  his  nourishment.     Man  has  eaten 
the  bread  of  Angels,  and,  therefore,  our  Lord  said: 
'  My  flesh  is  meat  indeed  ! '     This  divine  bread  is  eaten, 
but  it  is  not  changed,  because  it  assumes  no  other  form 
in  him  who  eats  It.     It  transforms  the  worthy  receiver 
into  Him  Whom  it  contains.     O  most  excellent,  most 
adorable,  and  most  venerable  Sacrament,  to  which  we 
can  never  give  adequate  praise,  honor  and  glory,  and 
whose  benefits  we  can  never  justly  extol !     O  Sacra- 
ment, which  is  worthy  of  being  revered  from,  the  bottom 
of  the  heart,  loved  with  the  most  tender  and  fervent 
affection,  and  of  being  deeply  engraved  upon  our  mem- 
ory in  indelible  characters !     O  most  precious  remem- 
brance, which  ought  to  be  made  known  and  exalted  in 
all  places,  which  all  Christians  ought  ever  to  remember 
with  feelings   of  the  deepest  gratitude,  which  we  can 
never    sufficiently  meditate  upon,  or  ever  sufficiently 
worship.     We  are,  therefore,  bound  to  cherish  a  per- 
petual remembrance  of  it,  so  that  we  may  constantly 
have  Him  before  our  eyes,  Who  offers  this  inestimable 
benefit  to  us.     For  the  more  we  consider  the  gift,  the 
more  we  prize  Him  who  bestows  It. 

"  Although  we  daily  commemorate  this  benefit  in  the 
Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  yet,  we  think  it  just  that, 
in  order  to  confound  the  infidelity  and  madness  of 
heretics,  we  should  solemnize,  at  least  once  in  the  year, 
and  celebrate  a  feast,  in  Its  honor,  with  the  greatest 
pomp  and  magnificence  possible.  On  the  day  on  which 
lesus  Christ  instituted  this  Sacrament,  the  Church  is 
occupied  with  the  reconciliation  of  sinners,  the  blessing 


CORPUS  CHRIST  I  AND  ITS  ORIGIN.  205 

of  the  holy  oils,  the  washing  of  the  feet,  and  other 
mysteries.  Wherefore,  sufficient  time  is  not  left  to 
honor  this  most  sublime  Sacrament,  and  thus  it  becomes 
necessary  to  appoint  another  day  for  this  end.  Finally, 
it  is  the  custom  of  the  Church  to  devote  particular  days 
for  the  veneration  of  her  saints;  although  she  daily 
honors  them  by  prayers,  litanies,  in  the  Mass,  etc.,  as 
also  on  other  occasions.  But,  since  on  these  days, 
christians  often  do  not  comply  with  their  duties  to- 
wards the  saints,  either  through  negligence  or  press  of 
domestic  affairs ;  or,  from  human  weakness,  our  Mother, 
the  Holy  Church,  has  appointed  a  certain  day  for  the 
general  commemoration  of  all  the  saints,  so  that  by  this 
solemnity  the  omissions  which  may,  perchance,  have 
occurred,  may  be  repaired.  Now,  if  this  has  already 
been  introduced  into  the  Church,  how  much  more  are 
we  not  bound  to  do  the  same  with  regard  to  the  life- 
giving  Sacrament  of  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Jesus 
Christ,  Who  is  the  glory  and  the  crown  of  all  the  saints. 
We  shall  then  be  enabled  to  repair  and  make  up  for 
our  want  of  devotion,  and  other  defects  which  we  may 
have  had  in  hearing  Mass,  and  ask  our  Lord's  pardon 
for  the  same.  And,  indeed,  at  the  time  when  our  dig- 
nity was  not  so  elevated  as  it  now  is,  we  learned  how 
the  Lord  revealed  to  some  few  Catholics  that  the  feast 
of  Corpus  Christi  was  to  be  celebrated  throughout  the 
whole  Church.  Therefore,  in  order  to  strengthen  and 
exalt  the  true  faith,  we  have  thought  it  just  and  reason- 
able to  ordain  that,  besides  the  commemoration  which 
the  Church  daily  makes  of  this  Holy  Sacrament,  a  par- 
18 


l206  THE  MOST  HOLY  FESTIVAL  OF 

ticular  festival  shall  be  celebrated  every  year,  on  a  cer- 
tain day,  namely,  on  the  fifth  day  of  the  week  after  the 
octave  of  Pentecost,  on  which  day  pious  people  will  vie 
with  each  other  to  hasten  in  great  crowds  to  our  churches, 
where  the  clergy  and  laity  will  send  forth  their  holy 
hymns  of  joy  and  praise.  On  this  memorable  day,  faith 
shall  triumph,  hope  be  enhanced,  charity  shall  shine, 
piety  shall  exult,  our  temples  shall  re-echo  with  hymns 
of  exultation,  and  pure  souls  shall  tremble  with  holy 
joy.  On  this  day  of  devotion,  all  the  faithful  shall 
hasten  to  our  churches  with  joyful  hearts,  to  discharge 
their  obligations  with  unlimited  obedience,  and  thus,  in 
a  worthy  manner,  celebrate  this  great  feast.  May  the 
Lord  vouchsafe  to  inflame  them  with  so  holy  a  zeal,  that, 
by  the  exercise  of  their  piety  towards  Him  Who  has  re- 
deemed them,  they  may  increase  in  merit,  and  that  He 
may  also  give  Himself  to  them  in  this  life  for  their 
food.  May  this  God  likewise  be  their  reward  in  the 
other  world.  We,  therefore,  inform  and  exhort  you,  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  through  these  apostolic  let- 
ters we  command  you,  in  virtue  of  holy  obedience,  and 
enjoin  upon  you  to  have,  every  year,  on  the  above- 
named  fifth  day  of  the  week,  this  so  glorious  and  praise- 
worthy feast  celebrated  in  all  the  Churches  and  places 
of  your  diocese.  Moreover,  we  command  you  to  ex- 
hort, yourself  and  through  others,  those  under  your 
charge,  so  to  prepare  themselves,  the  Sunday  before,  by 
a'  perfect  and  sincere  confession,  by  alms,  prayers  and 
other  good  works,  which  are  suitable  to  this  day  of  the 
Most  Blessed  Sacrament,  that  they  may  reverently  par- 


CORPUS  CIIRISTI  AND  ITS  ORIGIN.  207 

take  of  the  same,  and  by  this  means  receive  an  increase 
of  grace.  And  as  We  also  desire  to  stimulate,  by  Spir- 
itual gifts,  the  faithful,  to  the  celebration  and  venera- 
tion of  this  feast,  We  grant  to  him  or  her,  who,  truly 
penitent,  confessing  his  or  her  sins,  attends  the  morning 
service  or  vespers  of  the  day,  one  hundred  days'  Indul- 
gence ;  and  to  him  or  her  who  is  present  at  Prime, 
Tierce,  Sext,  None  and  Complin,  forty  days  for  each  of 
these  hours. 

"  Finally,  relying  upon  the  merciful  Omnipotence  of 
God,  and  trusting  in  the  Authority  of  the  Holy  Apos- 
tles Peter  and  Paul,  We  remit  to  him  or  her,  who, 
during  this  Octave,  shall  be  present  at  the  morning 
service,  Vespers  and  Mass,  one  hundred  days  of  pen- 
ance imposed  upon  them." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

ADDITIONAL    EXAMPLES    RELATING   TO    THE 
REAL    PRESENCE. 


^^<^1ADBERT  relates,  that  a  certain  priest  named 
|  pOJ  Plegile  asked  of  oar  Saviour  the  favor  to  be 
,jR5d  Permitted  to  see  Him  with  his  bodily  eves  in 
~^  ^V'  the  Holy  Eucharist.  As  this  request  did  not 
proceed  from  unbelief,  but  rather  from  an  ardent  love, 
it  was  granted.  One  day,  during  Mass,  this  pious 
priest  knelt  down  after  the  consecration  and  besought 
our  Lord  anew  to  grant  his  request.  An  Angel  then 
appeared  to  him  and  bade  him  arise.  He  raised  his 
head  and  saw  our  Divine  Saviour  in  the  form  of  an  in- 
fant. Full  of  joy  and  reverence,  he  begged  our  Lord 
to  conceal  Himself  again  under  the  Sacramental  species, 
and  immediately  the  Holy  Eucharist  assumed  its  usual 
appearance.  This  miracle  was  also  witnessed  by  many 
other  persons.1 

2.  The  Abbe  Favre  also  relates  a  miracle  which  took 
place  at  Turin  in  the  year  1453,  during  the  pontificate 
of  Nicholas  V.     One  night  a  thief  entered   me  of  the 


P.  Favre. 

208 


EXAMPLES  RELATING  TO  THE  REAL  PRESENCE.      209 

churches  of  the  city  and  stole  the  sacred  vessels.  Ho 
then  loaded  his  'horse  with  the  sacred  burden,  and  at- 
tempted to  leave  the  ciy  at  daybreak;  but  his  horse 
fell  on  its  knees,  and  with  all  his  efforts  the  thief  could 
not  make  it  rise.  The  people  at  length  began  to  sus- 
pect something,  so  they  took  off  the  burden  from  the 
horse  and  found,  to  their  horror,  the  sacred  vessels.  A 
consecrated  host  which  had  remained  in  the  ciborium 
rose  into  the  air  to  the  height  of  about  sixty  feet.  The 
Bishop,  hearing  of  this  fact,  went  in  procession  to  the 
place  accompanied  by  a  great  multitude.  As  soon  as 
he  arrived  there,  the  holy  host  descended  into  the  chal- 
ice which  he  held  in  his  hand  and  was  carried  to  St. 
John's  Cathedral.  A  splendid  church  was  erected  on 
the  spot  in  which  this  great  miracle  happened,  and  on 
I  he  balustrade  the  following  inscription  is  still  to  be 
Been  :  "  Hio  stetit  equus."1  This  miracle  is  still  an- 
nually commemorated  by  a  festival  kept  throughout  the 
whole  diocese,  and  by  a  solemn  procession  in  the  city 
of  Turin.  God  was  pleased  to  work  this  miracle  to 
confirm  the  faith  of  the  people  against  the  errors  of  the 
Hussites,  and  Albigenses,  who  were  then  ravaging  that 
part  of  Italy.  A  few  years  ago,  during  one  of  these 
annual  processions,  another  miracle  took  place  which  is 
too  remarkable  to  be  omitted.  An  impious  barber  had 
the  impertinence  to  ridicule  a  person,  whom  he  was 
shaving,  for  wishing  to  assist  at  this  procession.  He 
then  went  into  the  street  in  order  to  insult  the  Catho- 
lics and  to  ridicule  the  Blessed  Sacrament.     He  kept  his 

1  "  Here  the  horse  stopped." 
18*  0 


210  ADDITIONAL  EXAMPLES 

hat  on,  and  would  not  take  it  off,  though  repeatedly 
ordered  to  do  so.  But,  behold  !  the  moment  that  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  passed  by  him  he  was  struck  by  the 
Divine  Justice  and  fell  to, the  ground  a  corpse.  This 
event  made  such  an  impression  on  the  whole  city  that 
the  commissary  caused  the  body  of  the  impious  man  to 
be  exposed  before  the  court-house  for  thirty-six  hours. 
A  great  many  of  the  eye-witnesses  of  this  fact  are  still 
living  j  among  others,  M.  Raet,  formerly  Rector  of 
Plancherine,  in  the  diocese  of  Chauberg,  who  was  stay- 
ing at  Turin  when  this  melancholy  occurrence  took 
place. 

3.  In  1369,  the  following  incident  occurred  in  the 
Netherlands.  A  Jew  of  Enghien,  named  Jonathas, 
prefect  of  the  synagogue,  persuaded  a  Jew  of  Brussels, 
named  John  de  Lou  vain,  who  was  apparently  converted 
to  Christianity,  to  bring  him  some  consecrated  hosts. 
The  latter,  urged  on  by  the  promise  of  a  large  sum  of 
money,  entered  one  night  the  church  of  St.  John  the 
Baptist  at  Malembeck,  which  was  situated  without  the 
city,  took  the  ciborium,  containing  fifteen  hosts,  and 
gave  it  to  Jonathas.  This  wicked  Jew  now  began  to 
offer  every  imaginable  indignity  and  outrage  to  our 
Blessed  Lord  in  the  mystery  of  His  love.  A  few  days 
after  this  occurrence,  Jonathas  was  murdered.  His 
wife,  considering  his  death  to  be  a  just  chastisement  of 
God,  and  fearing  lest  she  might  be  punished  in  a  simi- 
lar manner,  went  to  Brussels  and  gave  the  ciborium, 
with  the  hosts,  to  some  Jews,  who  preserved  them  til] 
Good    Friday  of  the  year    1370.     On   this  day  they 


RELATING  TO  THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  211 

created  the  sacred  hosts  with  every  kind  of  indignity. 
At  last  they  pierced  them,  and  immediately  miraculous 
blood  began  to  flow  from  them.  These  impious  wretches 
were  so  terrified  at  this  sight  that  they  fell  to  the  grounds 
On  recovering  from  their  terror,  they  resolved  to  send 
the  hosts  to  the  Jews  of  Cologne.  A  woman  named 
Catherine  was  charged  with  this  commission.  She, 
however,  full  of  fear  and  remorse  of  conscience,  carried 
the  hosts  to  her  parish  priest  at  Aix-la-Chapelle,  and 
gave  him  an  account  of  all  that  had  happened.  The 
priest  then  informed  the  duke  and  duchess  of  the  whole 
affair.  The  impious  Jews  were  arrested  and  tried,  and 
having  been  fully  convicted  of  the  crime,  they  suffered 
the  punishment  they  so  justly  deserved.  This  hap- 
pened on  the  eve  of  Ascension  day,  1370.  This  his- 
tory is  recorded  in  the  archives  of  the  city  of  Brussels. 
The  sacred  hosts  are  still  preserved  in  the  church  of  St. 
Gudule  in  the  same  city.  There  are  also  several  pictures 
in  this  church  representing  this  event. 

4.  The  following  miracle  is  related  by  St.  Francis  de 
Sales.  In  a  certain  church  in  the  town  of  Favernay, 
in  France,  the  Blessed  Sacrament  was  once  exposed  on 
a  side  altar  to  the  adoration  of  the  faithful.  During 
the  exposition,  a  spark  happening  to  fall  from  one  of 
the  lighted  tapers,  set  the  altar  on  fire.  In  a  short 
time  everything  was  destroyed ;  even  the  repository,  in 
which  the  Blessed  Sacrament  was  kept,  was  consumed. 
The  Blessed  Sacrament  itself,  however,  remained  in  its 
place,  and  when  the  priest  endeavored  to  carry  it  to  the 
high  altar,  he  found  that  he  could  not  move  it.     He 


212  ADDITIONAL  EXAMPLES 

then  began  to  celebrate  Mass,  and  when  he  came  to  the 
consecration,  the  host  came,  of  its  own  accord,  to  the 
high  altar,  and  remained  there  till  after  the  Communion, 
when  it  returned  to  its  former  place  and  remained  sus- 
pended in  the  air  as  before.  This  miracle  was  repeated 
for  several  years  in  succession.  St.  Francis  de  Sales 
says  that  he  himself  made  a  pilgrimage  to  the  place  in 
order  to  witness  this  miracle. 

5.  In  the  year  1563,  a  Lutheran  nobleman  in  the  city 
of  Erfurt,  ridiculed  the  Blessed  Sacrament  as  it  was  car- 
ried in  procession  by  the  Rev.  Father  Th.  Baumeier. 
"  Behold/'  said  he,  "  what  a  ridiculous  thing  that  old 
man  is  carrying!"  No  sooner  had  he  uttered  these 
words  than  he  fell  speechless  to  the  ground.  Dr.  J. 
Hebenstreit  was  instantly  called  in,  but  pronounced 
him  beyond  recovery.  A  few  days  after  the  nobleman 
was  a  corpse.1 

6.  Many  facts  of  the  kind  have  occurred  even  in  our 
own  day.  The  three  following  are  related  on  the  au- 
thority of  ecclesiastics  who  were  inhabitants  of  the 
places  in  which  they  occurred  :  There  lived  at  Wittem, 
near  Aix-la-Chapelle,  a  pious  person  who  was  accus- 
tomed to  see  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
whenever  she  assisted  at  Mass.  Now,  one  day  she  did 
not  behold  our  Lord  as  usual.  She  went,  therefore,  to 
the  priest  after  Mass  and  said  :  "  Rev.  Father,  you  have 
committed  such  and  such  a  fault,  and  this  is  why  I  did 
not,  as  usual,  see  Jesus  Christ  during  your  Mass."  The 
priest  was  filled  with  surprise  at  these  words,  as  he  knew 
that  what  she  said  was  true. 

1  William  of  Gent. 


RELATING  TO  THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  213 

7.  In  Holland  a  church  was  set  on  fire.  Among 
those  present  was  an  old  man  who  rushed  boldly  into 
the  flames  in  order  to  take  away  the  Blessed  Sac- 
rament. Immediately  the  flames  divided  before  him 
and  left  him  a  passage  to  the  high  altar.  He  then  took 
down  the  Blessed  Sacrament  and  carried  it  away  with- 
out receiving  the  slightest  injury.  A  painting  repre- 
senting this  miraculous  occurrence  is  still  to  be  seen  in 
the  church  in  which  it  took  place. 

8.  About  thirty  years  ago,  on  the  feast  of  Corpus 
Christi,  several  of  the  citizens  of  Duren,  near  Aix-la- 
Chapelle,  were  sitting  together  in  an  inn  fronting  on 
the  great  market-place,  when  the  solemn  procession  of 
the  Most  Holy  Sacrament  passed  by.  Among  those 
present  was  the  son  of  the  burgomaster.  Now,  as  the 
priest  gave  the  benediction,  with  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
at  the  altar  that  had  been  erected  in  the  square,  this 
young  man  held  up  a  silver  dollar  in  his  hand  and 
mimicked  the  sacred  ceremony.  In  a  few  days  the  very 
arm  with  which  he  had  committed  this  crime  began  to 
mortify ;  the  mortification  soon  extended  to  the  shoulder, 
and,  after  a  short  time,  the  unhappy  man  died.  More- 
over, from  this  moment  the  blessing  of  God  forsook 
his  house ;  several  of  his  family  died,  and  the  rest  sunk 
into  poverty  and  disgrace. 

9.  The  three  following  instances  will  be  of  special 
interest,  as  they  have  happened  in  this  country.  In  the 
year  1824,  Mrs.  Ann  Mattingly,  of  Washington,  D.  C, 
was  miraculously  cured  of  a  severe  illness  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner :    She  had  been  suffering  from  a  dan- 


214  ADDITIONAL  EXAMPLES 

gerous  cancer  for  seven  years.  Every  remedy  was  tried, 
but  in  vain ;  the  disease  was  incurable.  She  lost  the 
use  of  her  left  arm  ;  her  back  and  shoulders  became  ul- 
cerated in  consequence  of  her  long  confinement  to  her 
bed,  and  the  symptoms  of  approaching  dissolution  be- 
gan to  appear!  In  this  state,  finding  that  all  natural 
means  were  unavailing,  she  had  recourse  to  God.  In 
concert  with  Prince  Hohenlohe  and  her  pastor,  the  Rev. 
Stephen  L.  Dubuisson,  she  began  a  novena  in  honor  of 
the  Most  Holy  Name  of  Jesus,  and  at  the  end  of  the 
novena  she  received  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  When  she 
was  about  to  receive  Holy  Communion,  believing  that 
the  time  had  come  when  she  must  either  die  or  be  re- 
stored to  health,  she  uttered  these  words :  "  Lord 
Jesus !  Thy  holy  will  be  glorified."  Her  tongue  was 
so  rough  and  parched  from  fever  that  she  was  unable  to 
swall@w  the  host  for  five  or  six  minutes ;  but  the  moment 
she  swallowed  it  all  pain  instantly  left  her,  her  body 
was  entirely  healed,  and  she  found  herself  in  perfect 
health.  She  immediately  arose  and  dressed  herself,  and 
after  having  knelt  down  to  give  thanks  to  God,  she  re- 
ceived hundreds  of  visitors  who  came  to  congratulate 
her  and  to  witness  the  miracle.  These  facts  are  all  at- 
tested by  a  number  of  competent  witnesses,  and  any 
one  who  desires  to  examine  the  evidence,  can  find  a  full 
statement  of  the  case  in  the  works  of  Bishop  England. 
10.  At  the  burning  of  the  Ursuline  Convent  near 
Charlestown,  Mass.,  when  the  nuns  were  driven  from 
their  cloister  at  the  hour  of  midnight  by  a  fanatical 
mob,  one  of  the  ruffians  had  the  hardihood  to  open  the 


RELATING   TO  THE  REAL   PRESENCE.  2l5 

tabernacle,  and  seizing  the  sacred  vessels,  he  poured  into 
the  pocket  of  a  companion  the  consecrated  hosts  which 
they  contained.  The  latter,  on  his  way  back  to  Charles- 
town,  treated  the  sacred  particles  with  the  most  atro- 
cious irreverence,  and  even  jestingly  offered  them  to  a 
tavern-keeper  in  payment  for  the  liquor  he  had  drank. 
He  then  returned  home  and  related  to  his  wife  an  ac- 
count of  the  night's  proceedings.  Shortly  afterwards 
be  went  into  the  yard,  but  as  lie  did  not  return,  the 
family  became  uneasy,  and  sought  for  him  everywhere. 
After  searching  for  some  time,  they  found  him  a  ghastly 
corpse.  He  had  died  the  death  of  Arius.  This  fact 
was  related  by  the  late  Bishop  Fenwick  of  Boston. 

11.  The  Rev.  Anthony  Urbanek,  who,  in  the  years 
1847  and  1848,  exercised  the  functions  of  the  holy  min- 
istry in  the  city  of  Milwaukee,  in  the  State  of  Wiscon- 
sin, gave  the  following  account  of  a  wonderful  conversion 
wrought  by  the  recital  of  the  "  Hail  Mary  "  :  He  fre- 
quently visited  a  Protestant  family  by  the  name  of 
Pollworth,  natives  of  Hanover,  but  then  residing  a  few 
hours'  drive  from  Milwaukee.  After  a  short  time  Mrs. 
Pollworth  joined  the  Catholic  Church,  but  her  husband 
remained  obstinate,  and  would  often  say  that  he  would 
never  become  a  Catholic.  He  would  not  even  allow 
his  children  to  be  baptized,  although  his  wife  resorted 
to  every  possible  means  to  obtain  his  consent.  All  who 
knew  him  used  to  say  it  would  require  nothing  less 
than  a  miracle  to  make  a  Catholic  of  Pollworth.  The 
priest  continued  his  visits,  and  their  conversation  gen- 
erally fell  upon  the  truths  of  Catholicity.     But  every 


216  ADDITIONAL  EXAMPLES 

effort  to  convince  Mr.  Poll  worth  was  vain ;  he  had 
always  a  thousand  objections  to  present.  On  one  of 
these  visits,  after  having  long  and  uselessly  endeavored 
to  open  the  eyes  of  his  headstrong  friend  to  the  truth 
of  the  Catholic  faith,  Rev.  Mr.  Urbanek  at  last  said 
to  him :  "  I  see  well,  Mr.  Pollworth,  that  I  can  do 
nothing  with  you."  At  that  moment  the  good  priest  was 
suddenly  inspired  with  a  feeling  of  extraordinary  con- 
fidence in  the  intercession  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and, 
continuing  to  address  Mr.  Pollworth,  he  added  :  "  But 
you  must,  at  least,  promise  me  one  thing."  "  What  may 
that  be?"  asked  his  friend  in  the  Low  German  dialect. 
"  I  will  tell  you  after  you  will  have  promised  it,"  an- 
swered Rev.  Mr.  Urbanek.  "  It  is  not  difficult,  and 
you  can  conscientiously  do  it."  After  a  good  deal  of 
argument,  Mr.  Pollworth  finally  promised  to  do  wrhat 
might  be  asked  of  him.  "  Then,"  said  the  priest,  "  say 
on  every  Sunday  henceforth  one  '  Hail  Mary '  for  my 
intention,  and  you  will,  in  a  short  time,  experience  a 
great  change  in  your  feelings."  Mr.  Pollworth  laughed 
at  these  words;  but  he  kept  his  promise  faithfully. 
About  fourteen  days  after  the  promise  was  made,  he 
suddenly  accosted  his  wife  thus :  "lam  going  to  Mil- 
waukee now,  to  buy  some  new  clothes  for  the  children." 
The  astonished  wife  asked  :  "  But  why  at  this  time  so 
particularly?"  "  Well,  I  have  at  last  made  up  my  mind 
to  let  the  children  be  baptized,"  was  his  reply.  The 
news  spread  like  wild-fire  through  the  entire  neighbor- 
hood. "Pollworth  has,  at  length,  consented  to  have 
his  children  baptized,"  was  in  every  one's  mouth. 


RELATING  TO  THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  217 

He,  moreover,  begged  the  Eev.  Mr.  Urbanek  to  have 
the  ceremony  performed  with  the  greatest  solemnity. 
The  Rev.  Pastor  invited  another  Priest  and  two  Clerics 
to  assist  at  the  baptism,  which  took  place  before  High 
Mass.  After  Mass,  the  Most  Blessed  Sacrament  was 
exposed  and  the  hymn  i  Pange  Lingua '  sung  by  the 
choir.  The  newly  baptized  children  stood  close  to  the 
altar  steps,  and  their  father  immediately  behind  them. 
During  the  singing  of  the  hymn,  it  suddenly  occurred 
to  Mr.  Pollworth  to  look  at  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  but 
being  forced  by  the  immense  crowd  that  was  pressing 
towards  the  sanctuary  to  stand,  if  he  would  not  kneel 
upon  his  children,  he  feared  lest  a  free  glance  at  the 
Sacred  Host  might  have  the  appearance  of  irreverence. 
However,  he  was  not  long  able  to  resist  the  inclination. 
He  looked  towards  the  altar  and  saw  the  Sacred  Host 
as  it  always  is ;  but,  it  soon  increased  to  the  size  of  a 
mill-stone,  and  in  the  centre  of  it  there  appeared  the 
Good  Shepherd  with  a  lamb  upon  His  shoulders.  This 
sight  did  not  perplex  the  man  :  he  wished  to  convince 
himself  of  what  he  seemed  to  see.  He  accordingly 
closed  one  eye  for  a  while  and  thus  looked  at  the  appa- 
rition, and  then  again  with  both  eyes,  until  he  was  fully 
satisfied  that J:here  was  no  illusion  in  the  matter.  Be- 
sides, it  was  a  clear  noonday,  and  he  was  standing 
scarcely  two  steps  from  the  altar.  After  the  lapse  of 
about  five  minutes,  the  vision  disappeared,  and  the  sa- 
cred host  resumed  its  original  appearance.  On  leaving 
the  church,   Pollworth  asked   some  of  his  neighbors 

whether  they  had  seen  nothing  singular  during  the  di- 

19 


218  ADDITIONAL  EXAMPLES 

vine  service;  but  when  he  perceived  that  they  knew 
nothing  of  the  apparition,  he  said  no  more.  The  next 
day  he  invited  the  priest  to  pay  him  a  visit,  and  as  soon 
as  Rev.  Mr.  Urbanek  entered  the  house,  Pollworth 
said  :  "  Now,  indeed,  is  the  lost  sheep  at  last  found,  after 
its  long  straying  among  the  briers.  I  wish  to  become 
a  Catholic."  A  few  days  later  he  was  received  into  the 
Church,  and  after  he  had  made  his  Profession  of  Faith, 
he  solemnly  attested  by  oath  to  the  truth  of  the  vision 
above  related.  On  the  same  day  a  bigoted  Calvinist 
was  baptized.  Upon  the  simple  assurance  of  Mr.  Poll- 
worth  of  what  had  taken  place  he  had  been  converted. 
The  Right  Rev.  Bishop  granted  to  the  congregation  of 
the  church,  in  which  the  wonder  had  taken  place,  the 
privilege  of  having,  on  every  16th  of  July,  the  day  of 
the  apparition,  a  solemn  procession  with  the  Blessed 
Sacrament,  exactly  as  on  Corpus  Christi.  Pollworth 
and  his  family  always  go  to  Holy  Communion  on  this  day. 
12.  Towards  the  close  of  the  last  century,  there  lived 
a  very  impious  man  in  Rottweil,  a  little  town  of  Swabia, 
Germany.  One  f day,  when  in  the  most  solemn  pro- 
cession of  Corpus  Christi,  the  Blessed  Sacrament  passed 
by  the  house  of  this  impious  wretch,  he  had  the  dia- 
bolical audacity  to  scoff  at  the  Blessed  Sacrament  in  a 
most  horrid  manner.  He  placed  himself  before  the 
window,  in  his  shirt-sleeves,  with  his  butcher's  apron 
on  and  a  white  night-cap  on  his  head.  By  appearing 
in  this  unbecoming  dress  he  wished  to  show  his  con- 
tempt and  disrespect  to  the  Holy  Eucharist.  What 
was  still  worse,  as  the  Blessed  Sacrament  passed  by  him 


RELATING  TO  THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  219 

he  spat  upon  it.  Only  a  few  persons  noticed  bis  im- 
piety, otherwise  it  would  have  been  immediately 
avenged.  But  what  men  failed  to  do  God  was  not 
slow  in  accomplishing.  This  blasphemer  soon  after 
died  the  death  of  a  reprobate.  This,  however,  was  not 
all.  The  dreadful  scandal  which  he  had  given,  and 
which  had  become  generally  known,  and  the  outrage 
which  he  had  offered  the  Divine  Majesty,  required  a 
public  act  of  reparation.  God  made  use  of  the  fol- 
lowing means  to  effect  this :  Immediately  after  the  death 
of  this  impious  man,  such  horrible  noises,  such  fright- 
ful groanings,  lamentations  and  bowlings  were  heard 
in  his  house  that  no  one  could  stand  it  any  longer. 
Every  person  easily  guessed  the  cause  of  it ;  the  diffi- 
culty was,  how  to  remove  it.  At  last,  as  if  inspired  by 
God,  they  had  recourse  to  the  following  expedient :  It 
was  resolved  that  this  man's  portrait  should  be  painted 
in  the  same  dress  and  posture  in  which  he  had  appeared, 
to  scoff  at  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and  that  the  painting 
should  be  placed  in  the  opening  of  the  wall  instead  of 
the  window,  in  order  to  show  to  all  who  should  pass  by 
how  God  punishes  the  scoffers  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament. 
Strange  to  say,  no  sooner  was  this  painting  placed  in 
the  wall,  than  the  house  became  quiet,  Some  years 
afterwards  the  wife  of  a  Protestant  preacher,  who  lived 
opposite,  could  no  longer  bear  the  sight  of  this  horrid 
portrait.  Accordingly,  her  husband  went  to  the  Civil 
Magistrate  to  obtain  an  ordinance  for  the  removal  ol 
the  picture.  His  petition  was  granted ;  but  no  sooner 
was  the  painting  removed  than  the  former  frightful 


220  ADDITIONAL  EXAMPLES 

scenes  returned,  and  continued  until  the  alarmed  people 
of  the  house  obtained  permission  to  restore  the  painting 
to  its  place.  One  of  our  Fathers  related  this  event  to 
me,  as  an  eye-witness  of  the  fact. 

13.  In  a  procession  at  Valencia,  when  Blessed 
Nicholas  Fattori  was  carrying  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
all  at  once  a  flock  of  birds  came  and  formed  a  crown 
just  above  the  canopy,  singing  most  melodiously,  and 
steadily  accompanying  the  procession;  their  warbling 
notes  harmonizing  beautifully  with  the  ecclesiastical 
chant.  When,  afterwards,  he  was  asked  about  this,  he 
answered  with  a  smile,  that  they  were  Angels  who 
came  from  heaven  to  honor  their  Divine  King.1 

14.  At  the  time  when  the  modern  heresies  in  re- 
lation to  the  Keal  Presence  were  arising,  our  Lord  was 
pleased  to  illustrate  this  doctrine  by  a  miracle.  A 
nobleman  of  Tyrol  named  Oswald  Mulser,  on  coming 
to  make  his  Paschal  Communion,  insisted  on  being 
communicated  with  a  large  host.  This  was  an  act  of 
pride  and  unbelief,  but  the  priest  was  induced,  through 
human  respect,  to  give  him  a  large  host  instead  of  a 
small  one,  such  as  are  ordinarily  given;  but,  in  the 
very  moment  when  the  host  was  placed  on  his  tongue, 
the  ground  opened  under  his  feet  as  if  to  swallow  him. 
He  had  already  sunk  down  to  his  knees  when  he  seized 
hold  of  the  altar,  which  yielded  like  wax  to  his  hand. 
Seeing  now  the  vengeance  of  God  overtaking  him,  he 
repented  of  his  pride,  and  prayed  for  mercy.  As  God 
would  not  permit  him  to  swallow  the  sacred  host,  the 

1  His  Life. 


RELATING  TO  THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  221 

priest  removed  it  and  replaced  it  in  the  tabernacle.  It 
was  the  color  of  blood.  The  author  who  records  this1 
says,  that  he  himself  saw  the  host  tinged  with  blood, 
the  altar  bearing  the  impress  of  Oswald's  hands,  and 
the  ground  into  which  he  was  sinking  still  hollow,  and 
covered  with  iron  bars.  Witnesses  testify  to  these 
visible  evidences  of  the  miracle,  even  to  the  present 
day. 

15.  Three  years  ago  one  of  our  priests  received  a 
letter  from  his  Father  in  Treves,  Germany.  In  this 
letter  a  very  melancholy  example  was  related  that 
occurred  in  that  city  on  the  occasion  of  the  solemn 
procession  of  Corpus  Christi.  When  the  procession 
passed  by  the  house  of  a  certain  Protestant  gentleman, 
his  servant-girl,  who  was  a  Catholic,  said  to  her  master : 
"  O  come  and  see  the  splendid  procession  and  the  faith 
of  the  Catholics."  In  answer  to  this  invitation,  the 
gentleman  uttered  a  most  horrible  blasphemy  against 
the  Blessed  Sacrament.  No  sooner  had  it  left  the 
blasphemous  lips  than  he  fell  to  the  ground  dead.  The 
whole  city  looked  upon  this  instantaneous  death  as  an 
evident  chastisement  of  God  for  the  horrible  crime  of 
blasphemy. 

16.  "One  day,"  said  the  Cure  d'Ars,  when  cate- 
chising the  people,  "  two  Protestant  ministers  came  to 
me  who  did  not  believe  in  the  Real  Presence  of  our 
Lord  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  I  said  to  them  :  '  Do 
you  think  a  piece  of  bread  could  detach  itself,  and,  of 
its  own  accord,  go  and  place  itself  on  the  tongue  of  a 

1  Tilman  Bredenbaeh. 
19* 


222  ADDITIONAL  EXAMPLES 

person  who  came  near  to  receive  it  ? '  i  No/  said  t\  /. 
'  Well  then,  it  is  not  bread/ "  The  saintly  Curate 
then  related  the  following  fact:  "There  was  a  man 
who  had  doubts  about  the  Real  Presence,  and  he  said : 
'What  do  we  know  about  it?  it  is  not  certain  what 
consecration  is!  What  happens  on  the  altar  at  that 
moment?7  But  this  man  wished  to  believe,  and  he 
prayed  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  to  obtain  faith  for  him. 
Listen  attentively  to  this:  I  do  not  say  that  this 
happened  somewhere,  but  I  say  that  it  happened  to 
myself.  At  the  moment  this  man  came  up  to  receive 
Holy  Communion  the  Sacred  Host  detached  Itself  from 
my  fingers,  while  I  was  yet  a  good  way  off,  went  of 
Itself  and  placed  Itself  upon  the  tongue  of  that  man.7'1 

17.  The  same  Cure  relates  also,  that  a  priest  once, 
after  consecration,  had  some  little  doubt  whether  his 
few  words  could  have  made  our  Lord  descend  upon 
the  altar;  at  the  same  moment  he  saw  the  host  all  red, 
and  the  corporal  tinged  with  blood. 

18.  Charles  II.,  king  of  Spain,  took  a  ride  in  his 
carriage  at  Madrid,  on  the  twentieth  of  January,  1685T 
accompanied  by  many  personages  of  nobility  and  high 
rank,  and  followed  by  a  large  concourse  of  the  common 
people.  Perceiving  a  priest  approaching  with  the 
Blessed  Sacrament,  he  quickly  alighted  from  his  car- 
riage and  knelt  down  to  adore  his  Saviour  in  the  Holy 
Eucharist,  after  which  he  begged  the  priest  to  take  his 
place  in  the  carriage.  Taking  his  hat  in  his  left  hand, 
and  holding,  like  a  coachman,  the  reins  of  the  horses, 

1  Spirit  of  the  Cure  d'Ars. 


RELATING  TO  THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  223 

vie  followed  on  foot,  with  uncovered  head,  to  the  house 
of  the  sick  person.  Here  he  again  knelt  down  to 
adore  his  Lord  and  God  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  He 
served  the  priest  to  the  best  of  his  power.  Finally,  he 
bestowed  a  rich  present  on  the  family,  in  order  that 
the  sick  man  might  die  with  less  solicitude  for  those 
he  was  to  leave  behind  him.1 

19.  It  may  excite  surprise  to  hear  that  irrational 
animals  can  teach  us  lessons  of  reverence  towards  the 
Most  Holy  Sacrament,  but  such  is  the  case.  There  are 
not  a  few  instances  on  record  which  prove  that  the 
Divine  Author  of  nature  has  been  pleased  sometimes 
so  to  direct  the  instinct  of  brutes  that,  by  their  be- 
havior, they  might  confound  the  pride  of  heretics  and 
infidels,  or  awaken  the  devotion  of  lukewarm  and  in- 
different Catholics.  In  the  life  of  St.  Anthony  of 
Padua,  a  very  striking  miracle  is  recorded.  As  Al- 
mighty God,  by  the  prophet  Isaias,  proposed  the 
docility  of  the  ox  and  the  ass  as  a  rebuke  to  the 
stubbornness  of  the  children  of  Israel,  so,  in  this  in- 
stance, He  made  use  of  a  brute  beast  to  reprove  the 
folly  of  those  who  reject  the  mystery  of  the  Eeal 
Presence.  In  the  time  of  St.  Anthony  of  Padua,  there 
lived  at  Tolosa,  a  city  of  Spain,  a  very  obstinate  heretic, 
Bovillus  by  name,  who  denied  the  Real  Presence  of 
fesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  Although  St. 
Anthony  compelled  him  to  acknowledge  interiorly  the 
truth  of  this  doctrine,  he  persisted  obstinately  in  his 
heresy.     At  last,  he  professed  his  willingness   to   be- 

1  Bollandus. 


224  ADDITIONAL  EXAMPLES 

lieve  provided  he  should  see  a  miracle  wrought  in 
proof  of  it.  "What,  then,  do  you  desire?"  St.  An- 
thony asked.  "I  will,"  said  the  heretic,  "keep  my 
mule  without  food  for  three  days ;  afterwards,  I  will 
bring  him  to  you.  On  one  side  I  will  place  food  before 
him,  and  on  the  other  side  you  shall  stand  with  the 
Blessed  Sacrament.  In  case  the  mule  leaves  the  food 
and  goes  to  you,  I  will  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
truly  and  really  present  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament." 
St.  Anthony  having  agreed  to  the  proposal,  on  the  day 
appointed  a  great  concourse  of  people  were  assembled 
together  in  the  public  square  to  see  the  issue.  St.  An- 
thony, after  having  said  Mass,  took  the  Blessed  Sac- 
rament and  carried  It  with  him  to  the  square.  Then, 
when  the  hungry  animal  had  been  brought  near  and 
food  put  before  him,  St.  Anthony,  holding  in  his  hands 
the  Blessed  Sacrament,  thus  spoke  :  "  In  the  name  of  my 
Creator,  Whom  I  am  not  worthy  to  hold  in  my  hands, 
I  command  thee  to  draw  near  and  prostrate  thyself 
before  thy  God,  to  give  due  honor  to  Him,  that  the 
heretics  may  learn  from  thee  how  they  ought  to  wor- 
ship their  God  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament; "  and  behold! 
no  sooner  had  St.  Anthony  thus  spoken  than  the  mule 
left  his  food,  went  before  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and 
bowed  his  head  to  the  ground  as  if  to  adore  it.  At 
this  sight,  Bo  villus,  and  many  other  heretics,  were 
converted  and  professed  their  faith  in  the  Real  Presence. 
20.  St.  Francis  of  Assisi,  whose  power  over  irrational 
creatures  almost  carries  us  back  to  the  days  of  man's 
original  innocence,  was  followed  by  a  sheep  wherever 


RELATING  TO  THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  225 

he  went.  This  sheep  went  even  into  the  church,  andr 
during  the  time  of  Mass,  would  keep  quiet  until  the 
consecration,  when  it  would  kneel  down  as  if  to  adore 
its  Creator. 

21.  The  most  striking  fact  of  this  reverence  shown 
by  animals,  and  one  which  would  seem  almost  incred- 
ible if  its  truth  was  not  vouched  by  such  authors  as 
John  Eusebius  and  Stephen  Menochius,  is  related  of  a 
baker's  dog  at  Lisbon.  This  dog,  without  ever  having 
been  taught  to  do  so,  seemed  to  exhibit  towards  the 
Most  Blessed  Sacrament  all  that  devoted  fidelity  which 
so  often  distinguishes  the  attachment  of  these  animals 
to  their  masters.  As  soon  as  the  bell  rang  to  announce 
that  the  Blessed  Sacrament  was  to  be  carried  to  the 
sick,  he  would  run  to  the  church,  and,  lying  down  at 
the  door,  he  would  wait  till  the  priest  came  out  with 
the  Blessed  Sacrament,  when  he  would  join  the  proces- 
sion, running  from  one  side  to  the  other  as  if  he  was 
deputed  to  keep  order.  Once  the  bell  was  rung  about 
midnight.  The  dog  instantly  jumped  up  to  go  in  all 
haste  to  the  church,  but  the  doors  of  the  house  being  all 
locked  so  that  he  could  not  get  out,  he  went  to  his  mas- 
ter's room,  whining  and  barking,  in  order  to  awaken 
him,  but  not  being  successful,  he  went  to  another  per- 
son, whom  he  pulled  by  his  clothes  to  the  door  of  the 
house,  and  held  on  to  him  till  he  opened  it.  Once  in 
Holy  Week  he  watched  for  twenty-four  hours  succes- 
sively when  the  Blessed  Sacrament  was  exposed  in  the 
sepulchre.  He  would  not  permit  the  slightest  indeco- 
rum in  the  presence  of  the  Biassed  Sacrament,  and  so 

P 


226  ADDITIONAL  EXAMPLES 

long  as  he  was  in  the  church,  no  one  dared  to  sit  or 
stand.  On  one  occasion,  as  the  Viaticum  was  being 
carried  to  a  sick  person,  he  found  a  pedlar  asleep  on 
the  roadside;  he  barked  until  the  man  awoke,  uncov- 
ered his  head  and  knelt  whilst  the  Viaticum  was  pass- 
ing. On  one  occasion  he  compelled  a  country  woman, 
who  was  riding  on  an  ass,  to  dismount  and  adore  the 
Blessed  Sacrament.  Sometimes  he  was  mistaken  in  the 
signal,  and  would  go  to  the  church  when  the  bell  had 
rung  for  a  funeral ;  in  such  cases  he  would  return  home 
immediately.  No  one,  not  even  his  master,  was  able  to 
break  him  of  this  habit,  and  whether  they  tried  to  en- 
tice him  with  food,  or  fastened  him  up,  all  was  in  vain. 
In  the  one  case,  he  would  snap  at  the  meat  once  or 
twice,  then,  as  if  fearing  to  be  late,  he  would  run  off  to 
the  church.  In  the  other  case,  he  would  howl  so  dread- 
fully that  they  were  glad  to  release  him.  Thus  has 
God  been  pleased  to  give  us,  through  a  creature  devoid 
of  understanding,  a  lesson  in  our  duty. 

22.  There  is  no  kind  of  miracle  which,  to  our  Cath- 
olic instincts,  strikes  us  as  less  miraculous  than  a  mira- 
cle wrought  by  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  The  miracles 
of  our  Blessed  Lord  in  the  Gospels,  as  compared  with 
those  of  His  Apostles  and  Disciples  in  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles,  seem  natural  and  obvious.  Once  acknowl- 
edge Our  Blessed  Lord's  Divinity,  and  all  distinction 
between  the  natural  and  the  supernatural  seems  to  cease 
in  His  regard,  and  miracles  flow  as  the  direct  conse- 
quence of  His  Presence.  In  the  same  way,  once  grant 
the  doctrine  of  the  Real  Presence  in  the  Blessed  Sacra- 


RELATING  TO  THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  227. 

ment,  and  the  wonder  is  that  miracles  are  not  of  daily 
and  hourly  occurrence  in  our  churches.  The  word 
"miracle"  is,  perhaps,  ill  selected  to  express  what  is 
here  intended,  since  every  offering  of  Holy  Mass  is  in 
reality  a  far  greater  miracle  than  anything  else  in  the 
world.  Every  Sacramental  act  of  Holy  Church  is  mi- 
raculous, inasmuch  as  it  is  supernatural.  The  super- 
natural order  is  as  incidental  to  the  ordinary  working 
and  life  of  the  Church  as  the  natural  order  is  incidental 
to  the  government  of  the  world.  It  is  not  the  "  super- 
natural "  which  is  infrequent,  but  "  manifestations  of 
the  supernatural."  These  are  only  granted  occasion- 
ally at  rare  intervals  for  the  sake  of  encouragement  or 
proof,  and  generally  as  a  reward  for  very  deep  and 
ardent  faith.  As  the  Archbishop  of  Westminster  re- 
marks in  his  prefatory  commendation  of  this  miracle,  it 
is  a  manifestation  of  Supernatural  power  to  "  confirm 
our  consciousness  of  the  operations  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
both  Sacramental  and  miraculous,  which,  like  His  pres- 
ence, from  which  they  flow,  are  perpetual  in  the 
Church." 

The  present  miracle  is  introduced  to  us  under  the 
double  warranty,  so  to  speak,  of  the  Cure'  of  St.  Martin 
at  Metz,  who  narrates  it,  and  the  Bishop  of  Metz,  who 
indorses  the  narrative,  with  his  imprimatur,  in  the  fol- 
lowing words : 

"  Bishop's  Palace,  Metz. 
"  Having  considered  the  following  narrative  to  be  as 
edifying  as  we  know  it  to  be  strictly  conformable  to 


228  ADDITIONAL  EXAMPLES 

truth,  we  have  approved  of  its  publication.  It  is 
scarcely  possible  to  imagine  anything  more  likely  tc 
awaken  in  the  hearts  of  Christians  earnest  sentiments 
of  faith,  trust,  and  love  for  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in 
the  Blessed  Sacrament  of  the  altar,  and  to  increase 
amongst  us  devotion  to  the  Institution  of  the  Perpetual 
Adoration,  than  this  simple  recital  of  what  took  place 
in  the  Church  of  St.  Martin  during  the  religious  ser- 
vices of  that  holy  time.  It  would  seem  as  if  our  Blessed 
Lord  had  wished  to  show  by  a  signal  favor  how  accept- 
able is  this  homage  to  His  Divine  Heart,  and  had 
chosen  for  that  token  the  sudden  and  miraculous  cure 
of  a  young  girl  whose  faith  had  led  her  to  fall  at  His 
feet,  and  to  cry  out  with  lively  faith  and  humble  con- 
fidence, 'Lord,  if  Thou  wilt,  Thou  canst  make  me 
whole ! ' 

"At  Metz,  8th  September,  1865. 

"  *  Paul,  Bishop  of  Metz." 

The  statement  of  the  Cure  carries  conviction  to  every 
candid  reader  by  the  truthful  simplicity  of  its  style. 
Ann  Clery,  who  was  the  daughter  of  a  distinguished 
member  of  the  magistrature,  still  living,  was  sent  to 
school  at  the  convent  of  the  Sacred  Heart  at  Metz,  at 
the  age  of  thirteen.  Soon  after  she  first  went  to  school, 
her  health  gradually  decayed,  and  after  several  serious 
attacks,  her  malady  assumed  the  form  of  the  disease 
which  her  Paris  physician  described  as  "  muscular  and 
atrophical  paralysis."  For  more  than  nine  years  she 
lingered  in  a  state  of  infirmity,  pronounced  by  one  doc- 


RELATING  TO  THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  229 

tor  after  another  as  incurable.  In  1859  her  physician 
had  declared  that  she  would  be  a  cripple  as  long  as  she 
lived. 

"From  that  time  —  that  is,  from  the  middle  of  the 
year  1859  up  to  the  present  time  —  Mdlle.  de  Clery 
lias  not  been  attended  by  any  physician.  Her  mother 
alone  watched  over  her  health.  Her  infirmities  kept 
increasing.  She  could  hardly  digest  any  food.  Her 
thinness  and  weakness  were  pitiable.  Violent  head- 
aches, three  or  four  times  a  week,  added  to  her  prostra- 
tion of  strength.  She  could  not  be  laid  on  the  bed  or 
the  couch  without  suffering  intense  pain ;  and  at  such 
moments  a  strange  effect  of  these  paroxysms  was  visible 
in  her  face.  Her  eyelids  became  inflamed  and  of  a 
purple  color;  this  gave  to  her  countenance  an  inde- 
scribable appearance  of  suffering.  Paralysis  was  be- 
ginning to  affect  her  arms,  the  only  limbs  she  had 
hitherto  retained  the  use  of.  It  was  feared  that  she 
would  soon  lose  the  principal  means  of  occupation  and 
amusement  within  her  reach  —  the  exercise  of  her  skill 
in  fancy  works.  The  future  prospects  of  this  young 
lady  seemed  sad  indeed  to  human  prevision;  but  the 
time  was  at  hand  which  God,  in  His  wisdom,  had  fixed 
upon  for  the  fulfilment  of  His  merciful  designs." 

Her  resignation  to  God's  will  was  most  complete. 
During  several  years  a  priest  brought  her  Holy  Com- 
munion every  week,  and  she  spent  her  time  in  embroid- 
ering altar  cloths  or  making  artificial  flowers  for  Cor- 
pus Christi. 

She  felt  a  great  longing  to  be  carried  to  the  church 
20 


230  ADDITIONAL  EXAMPLES 

of  St.  Martin,  for  the  forty  hours7  devotion  which  was 
to  take  place  on  the  12th,  13th,  and  14th  of  last  June. 
The  state  of  her'health  prevented  the  accomplishment 
of  her  wish  until  the  third  day. 

"On  the  morning  of  the  14th  of  June,  Ann  received 
Communion  in  her  bed.  At  twelve  o'clock,  which  was 
the  hour  of  adoration  assigned  by  the  parochial  regula- 
tions to  the  inhabitants  of  the  street  in  which  the  Hotel 
Coetlosquet  is  situated,  she  was  carried  to  the  church  — 
she,  a  woman  of  twenty-three  years  of  age  —  like  a  baby 
of  a  few  months,  by  her  maid  Clementine,  who  sat  down 
on  a  bench  on  the  left  side  of  the  nave  and  held  her  on 
her  knees.  Madame  de  Clery  and  Mdlle.  Therese  de 
Coetlosquet  knelt,  the  one  by  her  side,  and  the  other  on 
the  bench  behind,  in  order,  as  much  as  possible,  to  screen 
her  from  observation.  Madame  and  Mdlle.  Paulin  de 
Coetlosquet,  who  had  preceded  them,  were  kneeling  in 
another  part  of  the  church.  Neither  the  invalid  her- 
self, nor  any  of  her  friends,  were  expecting  the  extraor- 
dinary event  about  to  take  place. 

"After  a  few  moments'  rest  from  the  fatigue  she 
had  gone  through,  and  which  was  producing,  as  usual, 
a  purple  flush  in  her  eyelids,  Ann  fixed  her  attention 
on  the  Blessed  Sacrament;  and  after  some  instants' 
silent  adoration,  she  said  the  prayer  she  often  used  at 
the  moment  of  Communion  :  '  Lord,  if  Thou  wilt,  Thou 
canst  cure  me.'  At  the  same  instant  she  felt  so  violent 
a  pain  in  her  whole  body  that  it  was  all  she  could  do 
not  to  scream  out.  She  prayed  earnestly  for  strength 
k>  bear  it,  and  then  added :  '  My  God,  if  it  is  Thy  will 


RELATING  TO  THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  231 

that  I  should  be  carried  back  to  my  sick-bed,  give  me 
grace  at  least  to  be  always  resigned  to  Thy  Holy  will/ 
I  cannot  describe  what  then  happened  between  God  and 
her  sou].  She  says  she  felt  penetrated  with  faith  and 
hope,  and,  as  she  expresses  it,  became  conscious  that  she 
was  cured.  She  wanted  to  kneel.  Her  maid  whispered 
to  her:  '  Mademoiselle,  you  will  fall  down/  But  Ann 
threw  herself  on  her  knees,  and  said  to  those  about  her: 
i  Pray,  pray  ;  I  am  cured  ! '  These  words  filled  them 
with  astonishment;  tears  and  sobs  mingled  with  their 
prayers.  Madame  de  Clery,  overwhelmed  with  emo- 
tion, in  a  state  of  bewilderment,  not  knowing  what  to 
think  or  to  believe,  led  her  daughter  out  of  the  church. 
She  could  not  credit  the  evidence  of  her  senses  when  she 
saw  her  standing  on  her  feet,  and  then  walking  only 
with  the  help  of  her  arm.  They  went  into  a  summer- 
house  in  the  adjacent  garden,  and  there  the  poor 
mother,  whose  fears  made  her  incredulous,  ascertained 
that  the  knots  under  her  daughter's  knees  had  entirely 
disappeared.  Ann  entreated  to  be  allowed  to  return  to 
the  church,  where  she  remained  for  three  quarters  of 
an  hour  kneeling  before  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  without 
feeling  the  least  tired,  and  pouring  forth  praises  and 
thanksgivings. 

"  When  I  was  told  what  happened,  I  went  to  the 
summer-house,  but  could  not  attend  to  any  of  the  per- 
sons assembled  around  Ann.  I  could  only  look  at  her 
in  silence  and  astonishment,  whilst  with  intense  grati- 
tude to  God  she  showed  me  that  she  could  stretch  out 
her  limbs,  walk,  kneel,  and  hold  up  her  head  without 


232  ADDITIONAL  EXAMPLES 

effort.  She  was  completely  cured.  God  had  done  the 
work ;  and  His  work,  accomplished  in  an  instant,  was 
perfect.  All  the  ailments  which  had  afflicted  her  had 
disappeared  at  the  same  time  as  the  paralysis,  and  the 
weakness  which  follows  long  illness  did  not  attend  her 
recovery.  Numerous  proofs  evinced  it.  The  hour  of 
vespers  was  at  hand.  Ann  said  she  wished  to  be  present 
at  the  service.  Following  the  dictates  of  natural  pru- 
dence—  for  I  was  not  certain  how  far,  in  restoring  her 
health,  God  had  given  back  to  her  her  strength  also  — 
I  advised  that  she  should  rest,  or,  at  least,  if  she  was 
bent  on  coming  to  the  church  that  day,  that  she  should 
wait  in  the  summer-house  till  the  time  of  Benediction. 
She  complied  with  my  request;  but  when  the  hymn 
'Pange  lingua/  &c,  resounded  in  her  ears  —  'Sing,  my 
soul,  the  mystery  of  the  glorious  Body  of  Christ'  —  she 
could  not  sit  still,  and  hastened  to  join  the  crowd  which 
filled  the  church. 

"The  next  day,  which  was  the  Feast  of  Corpus 
Christi,  she  heard  a  Mass  in  Thanksgiving,  and  went  to 
Communion,  kneeling  at  the  altar  amongst  all  the  other 
communicants  —  a  happiness  she  had  not  enjoyed  for 
nine  years.  She  was  present  during  the  whole  of  the 
High  Mass,  which  is  celebrated  every  Thursday  in 
honor  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and  in  the  afternoon 
was  again  in  the  church,  kneeling  before  the  altar  and 
pouring  forth  the  expressions  of  her  ardent  thankful- 
ness. Three  days  afterwards  —  that  is,  on  the  Sun- 
day on  which  the  Feast  of  Corpus  Christi  is  kept  in 
France  —  Ann  spent  seven   hours   in   presence  of  the 


RELATING  TO  THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  233 

Blessed  Sacrament,  hearing  Mass,  attending  Benedic- 
tion, or  visiting  our  Lord  at  other  times.  When  she 
was  urged  to  moderate  her  devotion  and  to  husband 
her  strength,  she  replied  that;  far  from  feeling  the  least 
fatigue,  she  experienced  an  increase  of  strength  and 
vitality  whenever  she  approached  our  Blessed  Lord." 

23.  Having  received  information  from  many  persons 
of  the  wonderful  occurrence  which  I  am  now  going 
briefly  to  relate,  says  St.  Alphonsus  in  his  book,  "Visits 
to  the  Blessed  Sacrament,"  I  endeavored  to  collect  evi- 
dence sufficient  to  enable  me  to  publish  an  account  of 
it :  and  I  first  obtained  a  full  relation  of  the  fact, 
written  by  a  priest  of  the  same  town,  who  was  one  of 
the  eye-witnesses  of  the  miracle.  But  not  satisfied 
with  this,  I  read  myself  the  authentic  process  which 
was  drawn  up  by  the  Archiepiscopal  Court  of  Naples, 
by  order  of  his  eminence  Cardinal  Sersale,  the  present 
Archbishop.  The  process  is  very  long,  consisting  of 
364  pages,  —  a  most  careful  investigation  into  the  facts 
having  been  made  by  the  officers  of  the  court  from  the 
evidence  of  many  priests  and  lay  persons,  all  of  whom, 
in  perfect  agreement,  made  their  depositions  on  oath. 

It  happened,  on  the  morning  of  the  28th  of  January 
in  the  past  year  1772,  at  a  place  called  S.  Pietro  a  Pa- 
terno,  in  the  diocese  of  Naples,  that  the  tabernacle  of 
the  parish-church,  in  which  the  BJessed  Sacrament  was 
reserved,  was  found  open,  and  that  the  two  ciboriums, 
a  large  and  a  small  one,  containing  many  particles,  had 
been  taken  away. 

For  several  days  the  whole  neighborhood  was  in  the 

20* 


234  ADDITIONAL  EXAMPLES 

greatest  distress  and  grief;  and  though  the  most  dili- 
gent search  was  made,  no  tidings  could  be  obtained 
either  of  the  ciboriums  or  of  the  sacred  particles.  At 
length,  on  Thursday,  the#  18th  of  February,  a  certain 
youth,  Giuseppe  Orefice,  of  about  eighteen  years  old, 
as  he  was  passing  in  the  evening  near  the  property  of 
the  Duke  of  Grottolelle,  saw  a  number  of  lights,  which 
had  the  appearance  of  bright  stars.  The  following 
evening  he  saw  the  same  thing ;  and  on  coming  home 
he  told  his.  father  what  he  had  seen;  his  father,  how- 
ever, would  not  believe  him. 

On  the  following  day,  about  an  hour  before  sunrise, 
the  father  was  passing  by  the  same  spot,  with  Giuseppe 
and  his  brother  Giovanni  (a  child  of  eleven  years),  who, 
turning  to  his  father,  said  :  "  See,  father,  the  lights  of 
which  Giuseppe  spoke  to  you  yesterday  evening,  and 
you  would  not  believe  him." 

On  the  evening  of  the  same  day,  the  same  boys,  on 
coming  home,  again  saw  the  lights  in  the  same  place. 
D.  Girolamo  Guarino,  the  confessor  of  Giuseppe  Ore- 
fice, was  then  informed  of  it,  who,  in  company  with 
his  brother,  D.  Diego,  also  a  priest,  went  to  the  spot 
where  the  lights  had  been  seen,  and  meanwhile  sent  for 
Orefice,  who,  on  coming  there  with  his  brother  and  a 
person  called  Tomaso  Piccino,  again  saw  the  lights; 
but  at  that  time  the  priests  saw  nothing. 

On  the  evening  of  Monday,  the  23d  of  February, 
Orefice  returned  to  the  spot  with  Piccino  and  a  man 
named  Carlo  Marotta,  and  met  on  the  road  two  strangers 
who  stopped  and  asked  them  what  those  many  Ugh  to 


RELATING  TO  THE  REAL  PRESENCE. 


235 


were  which  they  had  just  distinctly  seen,  and  which 
twinkled  like  stars?  They  replied  that  they  did  not 
know ;  and,  taking  leave  of  the  strangers,  they  ran  in 
haste  to  mark  the  spot  where  they  had  seen  the  lights. 
As  soon  as  they  had  marked  the  spot,  which  was  distant 
a  few  steps  from  the  hedge,  and  in  which  was  a  poplar 
tree  higher  than  the  rest  of  the  trees,  they  went  to  find 
the  two  priests  already  mentioned,  told  them  what  had 
occurred,  and  returned  all  together  to  the  spot. 

When  they  were  all  there,  with  a  child  of  five  years, 
nephew  to  the  two  priests,  the  child  cried  out,  "  See, 
there  are  the  lights,  which  look  like  two  candles."1 
At  the  same  moment  Orefice  saw  these  two  lights,  and 
said  they  shone  like  two  stars;  Carlo  and  Tomaso  also 
saw  them,  and  three  other  children  of  Signor  Guarino, 
close  to  the  poplar  already  mentioned. 

After  this  they  heard  the  shouting  of  many  people, 
who,  from  a  stack  of  straw  which  was  on  the  property, 
were  begging  the  priest  to  come  and  see  in  the  stack  a 
great  light  in  the  appearance  of  a  flame.  In  the  mean- 
time, a  woman,  named  Lucia  Marotta,  threw  herself 
with  her  face  to  the  ground  on  the  spot  where  the  light 
was  seen. 

The  priests  and  many  other  persons  ran  up,  and 
having  lifted  up  the  woman,  commenced  to  dig  the 
ground;  but  then  they  found  nothing.  The  two 
brothers,  Giuseppe  Orefice,  with  Tomaso  Piccino  and 
Carlo  Marotta,  then  returned  to  the  town,  and  going 

'  Here  we  must  observe,  that  the  lights  did  not  always  appear  in  the  same 
manner. 


236  ADDITIONAL  EXAMPLES 

along  the  Strada  Kegia,  they  heard  the  cries  of  those 
who  had  remained  on  the  spot.  Going  back  there, 
Piccino  fell  suddenly  upon  his  face;  and  after  a  few 
steps,  Giuseppe  felt  himself  pushed  forward  on  the 
shoulders,  and  he  also  at  once  fell  to  the  ground.  In 
the  same  way,  and  at  the  same  moment,  the  other  two, 
Carlo  Marotta  and  Giovanni,  Giuseppe's  brother,  also 
fell;  and  all  four  felt  their  heads  wounded,  as  if  they 
had  received  a  severe  blow  with  a  stick. 

Having  got  up,  they  went  forward  a  few  steps;  and 
both  Giuseppe,  as  also  Carlo,  Tomaso,  and  Giovanni, 
saw  a  brilliant  light  as  of  the  sun  coming  forth  from 
beneath  the  poplar  tree;  and  they  all  four  saw  rising 
out  of  this  light,  to  about  four  or  five  feet  in  height,  a 
dove,  which  was  almost  as  brilliant  as  the  light  itself: 
the  dove,  however,  gliding  down  into  the  earth  at  the 
foot  of  the  poplar,  from  which  it  came  out,  disappeared, 
as  also  did  the  light.  What  the  dove  signified  is  not 
known ;  but  it  appears  certain  that  it  was  something 
supernatural;  and  all  the  persons  already  mentioned 
gave  evidence  of  the  fact  upon  oath  before  the  Vicar- 
General  of  Naples. 

After  this,  remaining  in  the  same  place,  they  all  cried 
out :  "  See,  there  are  the  lights  ! "  And  going  on  their 
knees,  they  began  to  seek  for  the  sacred  particles. 
While  Piccino  was  scooping  out  the  earth  with  his 
hands,  they  saw  one  particle  come  out  white  as  paper. 
They  then  sent  to  call  the  priests.  D.  Diego  Guarino 
came,  and  kneeling  down  he  took  the  sacred  particle 
and  put  it  in  a  white  linen   handkerchief,  amid   the 


RELATING  TO  THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  237 

tears  and   devotion   of  all  the  people,  who   wept  bit- 
terly. 

He  then  began  to  search  more  carefully ;  and  having 
removed  some  more  earth,  he  saw  a  group  of  about 
forty  particles  appear,  which  had  not  lost  their  white- 
ness, although  they  had  been  buried  for  nearly  a  month 
from  the  time  they  were  stolen.  They  were  placed  in 
the  same  handkerchief,  and  the  earth  in  which  they 
were  found  was  also  removed. 

It  being  now  rumored  about,  other  priests  of  the 
place  came  to  the  spot,  bringing  with  them  a  ciborium, 
cotta,  stole,  canopy,  and  torches.  In  the  meantime,  a 
priest  and  a  gentleman  went  to  Monsignor  the  Vicar- 
General  to  know  what  was  to  be  done.  An  order  came, 
that  the  particles  should  be  carried  processionally  to  the 
church.  They  did  so,  and  arrived  at  the  church  about 
half-past  eleven  at  night,  when  the  particles  were  placed 
in  the  tabernacle. 

This  took  place  on  the  night  of  the  24th  of  Febru- 
ary. The  people  were  much  consoled,  but  not  fully  so, 
because  the  greater  part  of  the  particles,  as  was  supposed, 
were  still  wanting. 

But  on  the  evening  of  the  following  Tuesday,  the 
25th,  a  small  light,  but  very  brilliant,  was  seen  in  the 
same  place  as  at  first,  by  many  persons,  country-people, 
gentlemen,  as  also  by  the  priests  D.  Diego  Guarino  and 
D.  Giuseppe  Lindtner,  who  wrote  for  me  an  account  of 
the  whole  aifair,  as  I  mentioned  at  the  beginning.  This 
priest  being  much  terrified,  pointed  to  a  mustard-plant 
which  was  growing  there,  and  cried  out :  "O  Jesus,  O 


238  ADDITIONAL  EXAMPLES 

Jesus !  look  at  the  light  there,  look  at  it ! "  Upon 
which  the  others  also  saw  a  most  dazzling  light,  which 
rose  about  a  foot  and  a  half  from  the  ground,  and  formed 
itself  on  the  top  into  the  figure  of  a  rose.  Giuseppe 
Orefice,  who  was  there,  affirmed  that  the  light  was  so 
brilliant  that  his  eyes  remained  for  some  time  dazzled 
and  dimmed. 

They  began,  therefore,  to  seek  the  remainder  of  the 
particles  in  that  place,  but  found  none;  but  on  the 
evening  of  the  following  day,  the  26th  of  February,  a 
number  of  lights  were  seen  round  the  stack  of  straw  by 
three  cavalry  soldiers  of  the  regiment  called  Borbone, 
Pasquale  de  S.  Angelo  of  the  diocese  of  Atri  and  Penne, 
Giuseppe  Lanzano,  and  Angelo  Di  Costanzo  of  Acerra 
who  were  all  examined  before  the  Archiepiscopal  court 
These  deposed  before  Monsignor  the  Vicar-General, 
that  as  they  were  riding  round  the  royal  villa  of  Ca- 
serta,  where  his  majesty  the  king  then  resided,  they 
saw  on  the  property  above  mentioned  "  several  lights 
like  shining  stars."  These  are  the  very  words  of  the 
soldiers,  as  taken  down  in  the  process. 

Moreover,  on  the  same  evening  of  the  26th,  Signoi 
D.  Ferdinando  Haam,  a  gentleman  of  Prague  in  Bo- 
hemia, Chancellor  and  Secretary  for  letters  to  the  Em- 
bassy of  his  Imperial  and  Royal  Apostolic  Majesty,  was 
returning  from  the  city  of  Caserta  at  about  nine  at 
night,  along  the  Strada  Regia,  near  to  the  above-men- 
tioned property :  he  got  down  from  his  carriage  to  go 
and  see  the  place  where  he  had  heard  the  stolen  parti- 
cles  had  been   found  two  days  before.     On  arriving 


RELATING  TO  THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  239 

there  he  found  many  persons,  and  among  them  the 
priest  D.  Giuseppe  Lindtncr,  with  whom  he  was  ac- 
quainted, who  told  him  the  whole  history,  both  of  the 
sacrilege  and  of  the  miraculous  discovery  of  the  parti- 
cles. Signor  Haam,  after  having  heard  the  priest,  re- 
lated that  he  also,  eight  or  nine  days  before,  on  the  17th 
or  18th  of  the  month,  not  having  then  heard  either  of 
the  particles  that  had  been  stolen  or  of  the  lights  that 
nad  been  seen,  was  passing  by  this  place  about  nine  at 
night,  and  that  he  saw  "a  great  number  of  lights 
amounting  to  about  a  thousand,"  and  at  the  same  time 
a  number  of  persons  who  were  standing  in  silence  and 
with  devotion  round  the  lights.  Being  much  fright- 
ened at  what  he  saw,  he  asked  the  driver  what  those 
lights  were ;  he  replied,  "  that  perhaps  they  were  ac- 
companying the  Most  Holy  Viaticum  to  some  sick  per- 
son." "  No,"  replied  Signor  Haam,  "  that  cannot  be, 
otherwise  we  should  at  least  hear  the  bells."  Hence 
he  suspected  that  these  lights  were  the  effect  of  some 
diabolical  sorcery,  and  so  much  the  more  as  the  horse 
had  stopped,  and  would  not  go  on  a  step;  he,  therefore, 
made  the  driver  get  down,  but  it  was  impossible  to 
make  the  horse  go  on,  it  trembled  all  over  and  foamed 
at  the  mouth.  At  length,  after  many  attempts,  the 
horse,  drawn  away  as  by  force  out  of  the  road  which 
led  to  the  ground,  set  off  with  such  speed  that  the 
driver  cried  out :  "  O  Jesus  !  what  will  come  of  this  ?  " 
And  so  Signor  D.  Ferdinando  returned  to  Naples 
seized  with  great  fear.  He  himself  deposed  the  whole 
of  this  in  the  Archiepiscopal  Court,  as  may  be  read  in 
the  process,  page  60,  &c. 


240  ADDITIONAL  EXAMPLES 

On  the  evening  of  Thursday,  the  27th,  at  about  7 
o'clock,  Giuseppe  Orefice  and  Carlo  Marotta  went  to 
the  place  where  was  the  stack  of  straw,  which  they 
found  had  been  burned  by  the  priests  D.  Girolamo 
Guarino  and  Giuseppe  Lindtner,  in  order  that  they 
might  more  easily  search  for  the  missing  particles: 
they  found  also  Giuseppe  Piscopo,  Carmine  Esposito, 
aud  Palmiero  Novello,  prostrate  on  the  ground  and 
weeping,  because  they  had  seen  a  little  light  appearing 
and  then  disappearing  before  them  several  times.  When 
Orefice  heard  this,  he  knelt  down,  and  began  to  recite 
the  acts  of  faith,  hope,  and  charity :  when  he  had  fin- 
ished he  returned  with  the  others  to  see  what  the  light 
was,  which,  according  to  the  deposition  of  Orefice,  rose 
up  about  four  fingers  from  the  earth,  and  then  disap- 
peared as  it  were  in  the  ground.  After  this,  having 
put  a  mark  over  the  place  where  the  light  had  ap- 
peared, so  as  not  to  be  mistaken,  Orefice  and  Marotta 
went  to  inform  the  priest  D.  Girolamo  Guarino,  who 
came  immediately  to  the  place  and  found  many  persons 
kneeling  there :  he  began  to  search  with  care  about  the 
ground  on  which  the  mark  had  been  placed. 

At  this  moment  many  persons  again  saw  the  light ; 
and  Guarino,  who  did  not  see  it,  made  the  sign  of  the 
cross  upon  the  ground,  and  ordered  his  brother  Giu- 
seppe to  scoop  out  the  earth  on  which  the  stack  of 
straw  had  stood,  on  the  left  of  the  cross,  with  a  pick- 
axe which  he  had  in  his  hand ;  but  he  found  nothing. 
However,  just  as  they  were  thinking  of  digging  in 
another  part,  Giuseppe  Orefice,  who  was  on  his  knees 


RELATING  TO  THE  REAL  PRESENCE.  211 

all  the  time,  put  his  hand  on  the  ground,  and  finding 
that  it  was  soft  and  yielding,  mentioned  it  to  the  Rev. 
Guarino,'  who,  taking  a  knife  from  his  brother,  stuck  it 
into  the  ground,  on  the  spot  which  had  been  marked 
with  the  cross ;  and  when  it  was  at  its  depth,  he  heard 
a  noise  as  if  several  hosts  united  together  were  broken. 
He  drew  the  knife  out  of  the  ground,  and  with  it  a 
little  ball  of  earth,  to  which  he  saw  many  particles  were 
attached.  Struck  with  fear  at  what  he  saw,  he  cried 
out  in  astonishment:  "Oh,  oh,  oh!"  and  then  fainted 
away;  so  that,  as  he  himself  deposed,  his  sight  failed 
him,  and,  losing  all  power  over  himself,  the  knife,  with 
the  ball  of  earth  and  the  particles,  fell  from  his  hand. 

As  soon  as  Guarino  recovered  his  senses,  he  put  the 
particles  in  a  white  linen  handkerchief,  covered  them 
up,  and  laid  them  in  the  hole  in  which  they  had  been 
found ;  for,  on  account  of  the  trembling  which  had  come 
over  him,  and  especially  in  the  arms,  he  was  not  able 
to  stand  upright.  The  parish  priest,  being  informed 
of  what  had  happened,  came  quickly  to  the  spot,  where 
he  found  all  kneeling  before  this  hidden  treasure ;  and 
having  taken  better  information  of  the  event,  he  went 
back  to  his  church,  and  sent  a  canopy,  veil,  a  number 
of  wax-tapers,  and  a  chalice,  in  which  the  sacred  par- 
ticles were  put.  The  assistants  spread  the  veil  over  a 
little  table  covered  with  silk,  on  which  the  Blessed  Sac- 
rament reposed;  round  this  a  number  jf  persons  knelt 
with  lighted  torches,  and  many  people  arrived,  not  only 
from  the  town,  but  also  from  the  surrounding  villages, 
with  their  priests;  all  of  whom  shed  tears  of  tender 
M  Q 


242  ADDITIONAL  EXAMPLES 

devotion.  In  the  meantime  the  priest  Lindtner  and 
Signor  Giuseppe  Guarino  went  off  to  find  Monsignor 
the  Vicar-General,  and  returned  about  ten  o'clock,  with 
orders  to  carry  in  procession  the  particles  that  had  been 
found,  to  the  parish  church  of  S.  Pietro  a  Paterno. 
They  did  so,  and  along  the  way  they  all  sang,  praising 
and  thanking  Almighty  God.  As  soon  as  they  arrived 
at  the  church,  benediction  was  given  with  the  chalice,  in 
the  midst  of  the  tears  and  cries  of  devotion  of  the  whole 
people,  who  could  not  leave  off  weeping  and  thanking 
the  Lord  for  the  great  consolation  they  had  received. 

We  read  in  the  history  of  olden  times  of  many  such 
like  prodigies  in  confirmation  of  the  truth  of  the  most 
Holy  Sacrament.  I  myself,  in  my  History  of  Heresies, 
have  related  many  examples  on  this  matter  in  the  time 
of  the  impious  Wickliffe,  who  was  the  first  of  modern 
heretics  to  deny  the  truth  of  this  venerable  Sacra- 
ment. At  that  time  Almighty  God  was  pleased  to 
work  many  miracles  to  confound  their  incredulity, 
which  I  have  inserted  in  the  book  just  mentioned.1 
Nevertheless,  there  are  not  wanting  certain  critical 
spirits  who  altogether  refuse  to  believe  these  ancient  ac- 
counts, and  say,  "  But  who  saw  them?"  Now,  if  such 
a  one  should  doubt  the  fact  which  I  have  now  related, 
and  which  was  proved  with  such  exactness  in  the 
Archi episcopal  court  of  Naples,  he  can  easily  certify 
himself  of  the  truth  of  it  by  going  to  the  town  of  S. 
Pietro  a  Paterno,  which  is  not  far  from  the  city,  where 
he  will  find  many  lay  persons  and  ecclesiastics  who  will 

1  Chap.  11.  36,  37. 


RELATING  TO  THE  REAL  PRESENCE,  243 

a5sure  him  that  they  beheld,  with  their  own  eyes,  the 
prodigies  here  related. 

For  the  rest,  let  others  say  what  they  please;  for  my 
own  part  I  hold  the  faet  to  be  more  than  certain,  and 
therefore  I  wished  to  make  it  known  by  publishing  an 
account  of  it.    It  is  true  that  the  miracle  here  described 
does  not  call  for  any  other  than  mere  human  feuh ; 
nevertheless,  of  all  such  facts  grounded  on  human  faith, 
I  do  not  know  if  there  be  one  that  is  more  deserving 
of  belief  than  this  that  I  have  related,  considering  the 
extreme  care  with  which  the  information  was  taken  by 
the  Neapolitan  court,  and  the  evidence,  not  of  credu- 
lous women,  but  of  seventeen  men,  lay  and  ecclesiastics, 
who  judicially  deposed  on  oath  all  that  they  had  seen 
with  their  own  eyes.     All  these  circumstances,  which 
are  so  many  marks  of  truth,  make  the  fact  more  than 
morally  certain.     Hence  I  hope  that  all  those  who  read 
this  account  will  not  be  disinclined  to  believe  it,  but 
will  do  what  they  can  to  make  it  known  for  the  gloiy 
of  the  Most  Holy  Sacrament  of  the  Altar. 


^^W^j 


CHAPTER   XV. 


THE  MOST  HOLY  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  MASS 


£||s||EFORE  speaking  of  the  Most  Holy  Sacrifice 
of  the  Mass,  I  must  first  explain  to  you  what 
is  meant  by  sacrifice.  A  sacrifice  or  oblation, 
in  its  most  general  sense,  is  anything  that  is 
offered  to  God.  In  this  sense,  a  sacrifice  may  consist 
of  the  internal  motions  of  the  heart,  as  Holy  Scripture, 
for  instance,  calls  a  contrite  heart  "a  sacrifice  to  God." 
But,  in  its  strict  sense,  a  sacrifice  is  an  offering  to  God 
of  some  sensible  object,  to  acknowledge,  by  the  de- 
struction or  change  of  this  object,  the  sovereign  power 
of  God,  and  His  absolute  dominion  over  all  creatures, 
as  also  to  render  Him  the  homage  due  to  His  Divine 
Majesty. 

All  nations  have  agreed  upon  the  propriety  of  making 
such  oblations  to  the  Being  to  Whom  they  give  supreme 
honor.  The  Holy  Scripture,  the  most  ancient  of  all 
histories,  tells  us  that  Cain  and  Abel  offered  sacrifices 
to  God  soon  after  the  fall  of  our  first  parents.  At  the 
time  of  the  deluge  we  find  Noah  offering  clean  animals 
to  God,  and  the  same  was  often  done  by  Abraham  and 

244 


THE  MOST  HOLY  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  31  ASS.       245 

nis  posterity.  Now,  how  are  we  to  account  for  so  gen- 
eral an  agreement  of  mankind  about  this  mode  of  wor- 
shipping  God?  Reason  alone  must  convince  man  of 
the  necessity  of  expressing,  in  some  external  way,  his 
obligation  of  dependence  on  God.  We  are  composed 
of  soul  and  body,  and  as  we  know  that  God  has  a  right 
to  t\i2  services  of  both,  we  cannot  be  satisfied  until  we 
have  given  an  adequate  expression  to  the  emotions  of 
our  heart.  It  is  not  very  probable,  however,  that  natu- 
ral reason  dictated  that  particular  species  of  oblation 
which  has  been  in  use  amongst  most  nations :  I  mean 
animal  sacrifice.  For,  although  the  sense  of  guilt, 
which  has  weighed  upon  all  men  ever  since  the  fall  of 
Adam,  would  naturally  have  suggested  to  them  the 
necessity  of  some  expiatory  offering  whenever  they  were 
about  to  approach  God,  yet  we  cannot  see  why  they 
should  have  chosen  to  sacrifice  an  animal  for  that  pur- 
pose. On  the  contrary,  the  offering  to  God  of  the  life 
of  a  harmless  creature,  in  expiation  of  the  sins  of  men 
considered  apart  from  Divine  Revelation,  would  seem 
to  be  even  absurd.  It  is,  therefore,  most  probable,  that 
God  Himself  instituted  animal  sacrifice,  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  world,  to  foreshadow  the  meritorious  sacri- 
fice of  Christ,  and  to  give  man  a  means  of  acknowledg- 
ing his  guilt.  Now,  domestic  animals  have  been  gen- 
erally chosen  for  sacrifice,  chiefly  for  two  reasons  :  first, 
because  they  stood  in  the  nearest  relation  to  man,  and 
consequently  were  the  most  fitting  substitutes  to  bear 
the  penalty  which  he  had  incurred ;  and  secondly,  be- 
cause, by  their  gentleness  and  innocence,  they  served  to 
21* 


246  THE  MOST  HOLY  SACRIFICE 

represent  the  meek  and  spotless  Lamb  of  God.  How 
ever,  this  original  revelation  concerning  animal  sacrifice, 
of  which  we  find  traces  among  all  nations,  became  very 
much  corrupted  in  the  course  of  time.  Supposing  that 
that  which  they  loved  and  prized  the  most  would  be 
the  most  acceptable  offering  to  God,  men  went  at  last  so 
far  as  to  sacrifice  their  fellow-men,  nay,  even  the  lives 
of  their  own  children.  Of  course  such  sacrifices  were 
in  the  highest  degree  hateful  in  the  sight  of  God.  In 
order,  therefore,  to  teach  men  how  to  worship  Him 
properly,  the  Lord  chose  a  particular  people,  to  whom 
He  gave  express  and  minute  directions  about  the  sacri- 
fices that  they  were  to  offer.  This  was  the  Jewish  na- 
tion. Out  of  this  nation  He  chose  a  particular  family 
—  the  family  of  Aaron  —  who  were  to  offer  Him  sac- 
rifice. These  sacrifices  ordained  by  God  were  of  various 
kinds :  offerings  of  adoration,  offerings  of  impetration. 
sin-offerings,  and  thanksgiving  offerings.  In  some  of 
these  sacrifices  the  victim  was  only  partially  consumed 
by  fire,  while  in  others  it  was  entirely  consumed.  The 
latter  were  called  holocausts  or  burnt-offerings.  This 
system  of  worship  lasted  until  the  coming  of  our  Saviour. 
It  was  then  abolished,  because  all  these  sacrifices  were, 
in  themselves,  utterly  incapable  of  appeasing  the  wrath 
of  God.  They  were  meritorious  merely  because  they 
prefigured  the  death  of  Christ ;  consequently,  after  that 
event,  these  sacrifices  became  entirely  unmeaning  and 
worthless.  Ever  since  the  death  of  Christ  there  has 
been  no  bloody  sacrifice,  for  the  death  of  our  Lord  was 
the  true  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the  world. 


OF  THE  MASS.  247 

The  Prophet,  however,  expressly  foretold  the  insti- 
tution of  a  new  kind  of  sacrifice,  a  real  sacrifice,  though 
an  unbloody  one,  which  was  to  succeed  the  abrogated 
sacrifices  of  the  Old  Law,  and  to  be  offered  unceasingly 
in  every  part  of  the  world.  The  passage  to  which  I 
allude  is  very  remarkable  ;  it  is  from  the  prophet  Mala 
chy,  i.  10  :  "I  have  no  pleasure  in  you,  saith  the  Lord 
of  Hosts,"  addressing  the  Jewish  people,  "  and  I  will 
not  receive  a  gift  of  your  hand,  for,  from  the  rising  of 
the  sun  even  to  the  going  down,  My  name  is  great 
among  the  Gentiles :  and  in  every  place  there  is  sac- 
rifice, and  there  is  offered  to  My  name  a  clean  oblation 
for  My  name  is  great  among  the  Gentiles,  said  the  Lord 
of  Hosts."  Here  we  have  the  promise  that,  when  the 
Jewish  sacrifices  should  have  ceased,  another  and  far 
more  precious  sacrifice  should  be  offered,  visible  indeed 
like  them,  but  unlike  them  possessed  of  an  intrinsic 
sanctity,  a.  sacrifice  that  was  to  be  offered  from  the  rising 
to  the  setting  of  tha  sun  ;  a  sacrifice  that  was  to  be  of- 
fered in  every  place,  even  to  the  end  of  time. 

Now,  all  these  attributes  are  found,  and  found  only 
m  the  Catholic  sacrifice  of  the  Mass.  This  is  so  evi- 
dent that  all  the  Fathers  of  the  Church,  with  one 
accord,  interpret  this  passage  as  a  clear  prophecy  of  this 
most  adorable  sacrifice.  It  is  a  real  sacrifice  in  the 
proper  sense  of  the  word,  because  our  Lord  is  not  only 
really  present  in  the  consecrated  host,  but  He  also  truly 
offers  Himself  to  His  heavenly  Father.  It  is  not,  how- 
ever, a  bloody  sacrifice,  because  our  Lord  is  not  really 
slain  in  the  Mass ;  His  death  is  merely  represented  in 


248  THE  MOST  HOLY  SACRIFICE 

a  mystical  manner  by  the  separation  and  destruction  of 
the  species.  According  to  some  of  the  Holy  Fathers, 
the  word  Mass  is  derived  from  the  Latin  word  "  missa" 
or  "  missio,"  which  signifies  a  "  sending,"  because  God 
sends  His  well-beloved  Son  to  be  our  victim,  and  the 
priest  sends  Him  back  to  the  Eternal  Father  as  our 
ransom  and  our  intercessor.  But  you  may  ask,  does  it 
not  argue  a  want  of  perfection  in  the  sacrifice  of  Christ 
on  the  Cross  to  continue  thus  to  offer  Himself  in  the 
Mass?  By  no  means.  The  sacrifice  of  the  Mass  is 
the  same  that  was  offered  on  the  Cross,  the  only  differ- 
ence being  in  the  manner  of  offering.  The  victim  is 
the  same  in  both  —  it  is  Jesus  Christ,  the  true  Lamb  of 
God,  really  slain  on  the  Cross,  mystically  slain  in  the 
Mass ;  the  priest,  too,  is  the  same ;  it  is  Jesus  Christ, 
the  true  High  Priest,  Who  offered  Himself  immediately 
on  the  Cross,  and  who  offers  Himself  mediately  by  the 
ministry  of  His  priests  in  the  Mass.  In  itself,  the 
sacrifice  which  our  Saviour  offered  on  the  Cross  is  of 
infinite  value,  and  it  is  more  than  sufficient  for  our 
redemption.  But  of  what  use  will  it  be  to  us,  unless 
it  is  applied  to  our  souls  ?  Of  what  use  is  it  to  a  poor 
person  to  know  that  there  is  somewhere  a  sum  sufficient 
for  his  ransom,  if  that  sum  be  not  really  given  to  him  ? 
Cardinal  Hosius  gives  a  beautiful  illustration  of  this 
truth.  "  Suppose,"  he  says,  "that  there  were,  in  a  cer- 
tain city,  a  large  fountain  of  water,  sufficient  to  supply 
the  wants  of  all  the  inhabitants.  Suppose  that  this 
fountain  was  situated  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  and  en- 
tirely open  to  all,  will  the  mere  fact  of  the  existence  of 


OF  THE  3IASS.  249 

i.ach  a  fountain  be  sufficient  to  supply  everybody's 
wants?  Must  not  every  one  that  stands  in  need  of 
this  water  either  draw  it  himself  or  have  it  brought  to 
him  by  some  means  or  other  ?  Now,  there  is  a  foun- 
tain of  living  water  flowing  from  the  open  side  of  Jesus 
Christ ;  it  is  a  never-failing  fountain ;  a  copious  foun- 
tain, sufficient,  and  more  than  sufficient,  to  wash  away 
the  sins  of  the  whole  world,  and  to  impart  life  to  all 
the  children  of  men.  In  order,  hoAvever,  that  we  may 
experience  the  wonderful  virtue  of  this  living  water,  it 
must  be  applied  to  our  souls.  Now,  Jesus  Christ  has 
established  certain  channels  through  which  the  waters 
of  His  grace  come  to  us.  Baptism  is  one  of  these  chan- 
nels ;  the  daily  Sacrifice,  which  we  call  Mass,  is  another. 
By  this  sacrifice,  the  fruit  of  the  sacrifice  accomplished 
on  the  Cross,  and  the  precious  blood  there  shed  for  us, 
are  applied  to  our  souls.  How  unjustly,  then,  do  the 
Protestant  ministers  reproach  us  with  obscuring  the 
sacrifice  of  the  Cross  by  our  daily  sacrifice  of  the  Altar ! 
Would  it  not  be  absurd  to  say,  that  to  desire  baptism, 
and  to  place  one's  confidence  in  water  instead  of  in  the 
blood  of  the  Redeemer,  would  be  to  disparage  the 
merits  of  Christ  ?  Now,  just  as  absurd  is  it  to  say  that 
ive,  by  our  daily  sacrifice,  obscure  the  glory  of  the 
iacrifice  of  the  Cross,  and  detract  from  its  dignity,  since 
ve,  by  this  very  means,  only  participate  in  the  sacrifice 
of  the  Cross  and  make  it  available  to  our  salvation."1 

Moreover,  our  Divine  Saviour  instituted  the  sacrifice 
of  the  Mass  in  order  that  His  religion  might  not   be 

1  Ccmfessio  Cathol.  Fidei  in  Synodo  Petriconensi,  c.  41,  fol.  94. 


250  THE  MOST  HOLY  SACRIFICE 

wanting  in  what  even  the  Jewish  religion  possessed,  a 
continual  sacrifice,  and  that  we  might  have  an  adequate 
means  to  worship  Him  properly.  The  sacrifice  of  the 
Mass,  therefore,  far  from  derogating  from  the  sacrifice 
of  the  Cross,  only  brings  it  nearer  to  us,  and  renews 
and  extends  its  effects  in  a  wonderful  manner. 

Our  Blessed  Lord  instituted  this  sacrifice  of  the  Mass 
at  the  Last  Supper.  On  the  very  night  in  which  He 
was  betrayed,  He  changed  bread  and  wine  into  His 
Body  and  Blood,  and  gave  to  the  Apostles  and  to  their 
successors,  the  power  to  do  the  same  in  commemoration 
of  Him.  In  obedience  to  the  commands  of  our  Lord, 
the  Apostles  frequently  offered  up  the  Holy  Sacrifice 
of  the  Mass,  as  we  see  from  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,1 
and  from  the  writings  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Church, 
especially  of  St.  Ignatius,  Martyr,  and  St.  Clement, 
both  disciples  of  the  Apostles.  The  wooden  altar,  on 
which  St.  Peter  and  the  succeeding  Popes,  down  to  St. 
Sylvester,  used  to  say  Mass,  is  still  preserved  at  Rome. 
St.  Matthew,  the  Apostle,  was  pierced  with  a  lance  in 
the  very  act  of  saying  Mass.  When  St.  Andrew,  the 
Apostle,  was  required  by  the  tyrant  Aegeas,  to  sacrifice 
to  the  gods,  if  he  wished  to  escape  the  punishment  of 
the  cross,  he  replied :  "  I  daily  offer  up  on  the  altar  to 
the  only  true  and  Almighty  God,  the  Immaculate 
Lamb,  which,  though  it  is  consumed,  remains  always 
living  and  entire.  And,  indeed,  St.  Paul  expressly 
declares,  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews :  "  We  have  an 
altar,  whereof  they  have  no  right  to  eat,  who  serve  the 

1  Chap.  ii.  42. 


OF  THE  MASS.  251 

tabernacle."1     An   altar  implies   a  sacrifice,   since  an 
altar  is  used  only  for  sacrifice.     Now,  as  there  is  no 
other  sacrifice  in  the  Christian  religion  than  that  of  the 
Eucharist,    it    follows   that   the   altar,    of    which   the 
Apostle  speaks,  must  have  been  an  altar  for  saying 
Mass.     The  Fathers  of  the  Church  commonly  speak 
of  the  Mass  as  "a  salutary  sacrifice."     St.  Cyprian,  in 
the  third  century,  calls  it. "an  everlasting  sacrifice."2 
St.  Augustine,  in  the  fourth  century,  declares  it  to  be 
"  a  true  and  august  sacrifice,  and  that  it  has  supplanted 
all  former  sacrifices." 3     But  no  one  has  spoken  of  the 
subject  in  more  sublime  terms  than  St.  John  Chrysostom : 
"O  wonder!"  he  exclaims  in  his  Homily  <De  Sacra 
Mensa/  "  At  this  table,  so  magnificently  furnished,  the 
Lamb  of  God  is  immolated  for  thee  j  there  the  Cherubim 
are  present;  there  the  Seraphim  attend;  there  all  the 
Angels  join  with  the  priest  in  praying  for  thy  welfare." 
And  again,  in  his  book,  "  De  Sacrificio,"  4  he  says: 
"  When  thou  beholdest  the  Lord  immolated  and  lying 
upon  the  altar,  and  the  priest  bending  over  the  sac- 
rifice and  praying,  and  all  the  assistants  reddened  with 
that  precious  blood,  dost  thou  think  that  thou  art  still 
on  earth  ?     Does  it  not  rather  seem  to  thee  that  thou 
art  wrapt  into  Paradise,  and  beholding,  with  the  eye 
of  thy  soul,  the  things  that  are  done  in  heaven  ?  "     In 
his  eighty-third  Homily  he  says :  "  How  surpassingly 
pure  ought  he  to  be  who  offers  such  a  sacrifice  ?     Ought 
aot  the  hand  that  divides  this  sacred  flesh— the  mouth 

•  Heb.  xiii.  10.  '  De  Civit.  Dei.  cap.  xx. 

Lib.  dfl  OTWML.  '    Lib-  iiL 


252  THE  MOST  IIOL  Y  SA  CRIFICE 

that  is  filled  with  this  spiritual  fire — the  tongue  that 
is  dyed  with  this  most  sacred  blood,  be  purer  than  the 
light  of  the  sun  ?  Think  how  thou  art  honored,  to 
what  a  banquet  thou  art  admitted  !  That,  before  which 
the  Angels  tremble  and  veil  their  faces,  is  our  food ;  we 
are  united  to  Christ ;  we  are  made  one  body  and  one 
flesh  with  Him  !  "  "  Who  shall  declare  the  power  of 
the  Lord  and  set  forth  all  His  praises  ? " 

These  passages  give  us  a  very  exalted  idea  of  the 
dignity  and  value  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  and  yet 
they  fall  far  short  of  the  reality.  Indeed,  if  all  the 
learned  and  saintly  men  that  ever  lived,  or  ever  will 
live,  were  to  unite  with  the  Angels  and  Saints  of 
heaven,  and  with  the  Blessed  Mother  of  God  herself, 
and  were  each  to  strive,  to  the  utmost  of  his  power,  to 
set  forth  the  dignity  of  the  Mass,  they  would  all  be 
unable  to  praise  it  worthily. 

t  None  of  the.  Doctors  of  the  Church  has  written  so 
fully  and  profoundly  on  this  subject  as  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas,  and  our  Lord  Himself  commended  him  for 
his  efforts  to  explain  and  illustrate  it ;  but  even  he  did 
not  receive  the  praise  of  having  written  worthily  on  the 
subject ;  our  Lord  only  said  to  him  :  "  Thomas,  bene  de 
me  scripsisti"  —  " Thomas,  thou  hast-  written  well  con- 
cerning Me."  Nay,  if  our  Lord  Himself  were  to  ap- 
pear to  us  and  to  describe  the  greatness  of  the  Mass, 
we  should  not  be  able  to  understand  Him,  for  the  Mass 
is  infinite  in  dignity,  since  it  is  God  Him&^lf  Who  is 
the  priest  and  victim.  St.  Chrysostom  was,  therefore, 
right  in  applying  to  this  glorious  mystery  khe  words 


OF  THE  MASS.  253 

of  the  Psalmist :  "  Who  shall  declare  the  power  of  the 
Lord  and  set  forth  all  His  praises  ! " 

But,  besides  the  great  dignity  of  the  Mass,  there  is 
another  reason  for  which  we  should  esteem  this  holy 
sacrifice :  it  is  its  great  utility.  Mass  is,  in  the  first 
place,  a  sacrifice  of  adoration ;  secondly,  a  sacrifice  of 
thanksgiving ;  thirdly,  it  is  a  sacrifice  of  propitiation  ; 
and  fourthly,  a  sacrifice  of  impetration.  I  said,  in  the 
first  place,  that  the  Holy  Mass  is  a  sacrifice  of  adora- 
tion, that  is  to  say,  a  sacrifice  by  which  we  render  to 
God  a  worship  corresponding  to  His  greatness.  It  is 
evident,  that  we  are  bound  to  worship  God,  for  even 
our  reason  tells  us  that  honor  should  be  given  to  whom 
honor  is  due.  We  usually  honor  men  according  to 
their  rank  and  acquirements.  We  honor  a  man  of 
learning,  for  instance,  more  than  an  ignorant  rustic ;  a 
saint  more  than  a  sinner  ;  a  prince  more  than  a  peasant ; 
a  priest  more  than  a  layman.  Now,  God  is  infinite  in. 
all  His  perfections,  and  consequently  desires  supreme 
honor  and  reverence.  He  alone  is,  as  the  Holy  Scrip- 
ture says,  "Blessed  and  Mighty,  the  King  of  Kings, 
and  Lord  of  Lords ;  Who  alone  hath  Immortality  and 
inhabiteth  Light  inaccessible ;  Whom  no  man  hath  seen 
nor  can  see ;  to  Whom  be  honor  and  empire  everlast- 
ing." Now,  how  are  we  to  render  to  God  the  honor 
that  is  due  to  Him  ?  I  have  said  already,  that  sacrifice 
was  the  mode  by  which  we  acknowledge  the  supreme 
sovereignty  of  God  ;  but  where  shall  we  find  a  sacrifice 
pure  and  precious  enough  to  be  offered  to  His  Majesty  ? 
It  is  plain  that  we,  finite  creatures,  have  nothing  of 
22 


254  THE  MOST  HOLY  SACRIFICE 

ourselves  great  enough  to  offer  Him  ;  even  the  sac  *ince 
of  our  lives  would  be  an  inadequate  homage.     "  What 
then,  shall  we  offer  to  the  Lord  that  is  worthy  ?  Where 
with  shall  we  kneel  before  the  high  God  ?  "  1 

Almighty  God  Himself  has  furnished  us  with  an  of- 
fering, as  He  declared  one  day  to  one  of  His  servants, 
who  was  burning  with  love  for  Him,  and  with  an  ar- 
dent desire  to  honor  Him.  "  O"  said  this  fervent  soul, 
"  I  would  that  I  had  a  thousand  tongues,  that  I  might 
praise  God  always!  O,  that  I  had  hearts  without  num- 
ber wherewith  to  love  Him !  O,  that  the  whole  world 
were  mine  that  I  might  see  Him  loved  and  served  by 
all  men  !  "  "  My  daughter,"  replied  an  inward  voice, 
"  thy  zeal  and  love  are  extremely  pleasing  to  Me ;  but 
know,  that  I  am  more  honored  by  a  single  Mass  than 
by  all  the  honors  that  thou  couldst  ever  conceive  or  de- 
sire." The  reason  of  this  is  plain.  The  victim,  which 
is  offered  to  God  in  the  Mass,  is  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
Himself,  the  well-beloved  Son  of  His  Father,  equal  to 
Him  in  all  things  j  and,  therefore,  this  sacrifice  must 
be  of  infinite  dignity  and  value.  In  this  sacrifice  we 
offer  to  the  Eternal  Father  all  the  honor  which  Jesus 
Christ  gives  Him,  and  thereby  make  up  for  our  natural 
poverty.  Hence  Father  Paul  Segneri  well  says  in  his 
a  Homo  Christianus " : 2  u  If,  on  the  one  hand,  the 
Blessed  Mother  of  God,  and  all  the  Saints  and  Angels 
off  heaven,  were  to  prostrate  themselves  before  God  in 
the  deepest  humility  and  reverence,  and  on  the  other 
hand,  the  humblest  priest  on  earth  were  to  offer  but 

'  Mit&eas  vi.  6.  P.  1.  diei.  12. 


OF  THE  MASS.  255 

one  Mass,  the  offering  of  the  priest  would  give  more 
honor  to  God  than  the  united  adoration  of  all  those 
Angels  and  Saints. 

In  the  second  place,  we  need  a  sacrifice  of  thanks- 
giving, for  we  are  bound  to  return  thanks  to  God  for 
all  the  benefits  He  has  bestowed  on  us.  How  many 
blessings  have  we  not  received  from  God?  creation, 
preservation  and  all  the  blessings  of  His  Providence ; 
redemption  by  vocation  to  the  true  faith ;  the  grace  of 
repentance,  deliverance  from  hell,  the  promise  of  heaven, 
the  Sacraments,  holy  inspirations,  the  examples  and  in- 
tercession of  the  Saints.  What  a  debt  of  gratitude  do 
we  owe  for  so  many  favors  ?  Jesus,  son  of  Sirach,  re- 
quires us  to  "  give  to  the  Most  High  according  to  what 
He  has  given  to  us."  *  But  what  can  we  render  to  God 
for  all  that  He  has  done  for  us  ?  We  cannot  pray  al- 
ways ;  we  cannot,  like  David,  compose  a  whole  book 
of  inspired  hymns  in  praise  of  God's  wonderful  deal- 
ings with  us;  and  even  if  we  could,  our  thanksgiving 
would  be  insufficient  and  unworthy  of  God.  Now  God, 
in  His  mercy,  has  given  the  devout  soul  a  means  of 
paving  this  immense  debt  of  gratitude.  The  Mass  is  a 
Eucharistie  sacrifice,  that  is  to  say,  a  sacrifice  of  thanks- 
giving. Jesus  Christ  has  left  us  Himself  to  be  offered 
therein  by  way  of  thanksgiving  to  His  heavenly  Father.2 

1  Eccl.  xxxv.  12. 

5  It  is  a  doctrine  of  the  Catholic  Church,  that  Mass  can  be  of- 
fered to  God  alone.  This  is  indeed  implied  in  the  very  nature  of  a  sacri- 
fice. When,  therefore,  Catholics  speak  of  the  Mass  of  such  and  such  a 
Saint,  or  of  offering  Mass  in  honor  of  a  Saint,  they  mean  a  Mass  offered 
tc  God  in  thanksgiving  for  the  graces  bestowed  on  that  Saint,  or  for  the 
graces  obtained  through  his  intercession. 


256  THE  MOST  HOLY  SACRIFICE 

He  gives  thanks  to  the  Eternal  Father  for  us,  and  thus 
we  are  enabled  to  return  to  God  even  more  than  we 
have  received  from  Him.  Two  pious  souls  were  one 
day  discoursing  about  the  graces  they  had  received  from 
God.  One  of  them  complained  of  her  inability  to  give 
due  thanks  to  God  for  all  she  had  received ;  the  other 
smiled  and  said  :  "  I  give  to  God  every  day  more  than 
I  ever  received  from  Him."  This  answer  naturally 
surprised  the  former,  and  she  asked  how  this  was  pos- 
sible. "  Oh,"  replied  the  latter,  "  I  go  to  Mass  every 
day  and  offer  up  Jesus  Christ  to  my  heavenly  Father 
for  all  the  graces  He  has  bestowed  upon  me;  and  Jesus 
Christ,  the  well-beloved  Son  of  God,  is  certainly  of 
greater  worth  than  all  the  benefits  which  I  have  ever 
received,  or  ever  will  receive/ 

In  the  third  place,  the  Mass  is  a  projnticdory  sacrifice, 
that  is  to  say,  a  sacrifice  by  which  God  is  entreated  — 
or  supplicated  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to  remit  the 
temporal  punishments  due  to  them.  Such  a  sacrifice  is 
very  necessary,  for  we  are  bound  not  only  to  adore  and 
thank  God,  but  also  to  beg  of  Him  new  graces.  JNow, 
the  most  important  grace  that  we  can  ask  of  God  is  the 
pardon  of  our  sins.  Sin  is  an  offence  against  the  Ma- 
jesty of  God.  Now,  were  all  the  men  that  ever  lived 
to  unite,  they  could  not  repair  the  outrage  that  is  done 
to  God  by  one  venial  sin.  Hence,  Almighty  God,  Who 
is  in  a  certain  sense  infinitely  offended  by  sin,  instituted 
the  sacrifice  of  Mass  by  which  an  infinite  satisfaction  is 
continually  rendered  to  Him.  The  Council  of  Trent 
declares1  that  the  same  Jesus  Christ  Who  offered  Him- 

1  Sees.  12,  c.  1. 


OF  THE  MASS.  257 

i  If  up  on  the  cross  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,  is 
txdily  offered  up  by  the  priest  in  the  Holy  Mass.  The 
sacrifice  of  the  Mass  is  the  same  as  the  sacrifice  of  Cal- 
vary, the  only  difference  being  that  on  the  cross  He 
really 'suffered  and  shed  His  blood  in  a  visible  manner, 
while  in  the  Mass  He  offers  Himself  without  suffering, 
and  sheds  His  blood  in  a  mystical  manner.  Our  sins, 
indeed,  are  not  directly  and  immediately  remitted  by 
the  Mass,  but  Almighty  God  is  moved  by  this  mystical 
sacrifice  to  impart  to  us  the  fruits  of  the  meritorious 
Death  and  Passion  of  Christ,  especially  the  grace  of  a 
true  sorrow  for  our  sins.  The  Council  of  Trent  says1 
that  God,  appeased  by  the  sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  forgives 
even  the  most  enormous  sins  by  granting  to  the  sinner 
the  grace  of  doing  penance  for.  them.  The  Holy  sac- 
rifice of  Mass,  then,  obtains  for  us  the  grace  to  do  pen- 
ance for  our  sins.  Without  doubt  it  is  to  this  efficacy 
of  the  Mass  that  we  must  attribute  the  less  frequent  oc- 
currence in  later  times  of  those  terrible  punishments 
which  God  formerly  inflicted  on  the  wicked.  The 
whole  world  was  once  destroyed  by  a  deluge  on  account 
of  sin.  Seventy  thousand  men  fell  victims  to  a  pesti- 
lence sent  by  God  to  punish  the  vanity  of  King  David. 
Fifty  thousand  of  the  Bethsamites  were  punished  with 
death  for  the  irreverent  curiosity  with  which  they  gazed 
upon  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant.  Why  are  there  so  few 
instances  of  such  punishments  since  the  coming  of  Jesus 
Christ?  Sin  has  lost  none  of  its  inherent  wickedness; 
on  the  contrary,  it  has  become  much  more  malicious  by 

x  Sess.  22,  c.  3. 
22*  R 


258  THE  MOST  HOLY  SACRIFICE 

reason  of  the  more  abundant  graces  of  God.  The  holy 
Fathers  tell  us  that,  without  doubt,  it  is  because,  in  all 
countries,  and  at  all  times,  every  hour,  Jesus  Christ  is 
offered  up  by  the  priests  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and 
the  hands  of  God  are  bound.  The  voice  of  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb  of  God  prevails  over  the  sins  which  cry 
to  heaven  for  vengeance,  and  benedictions  descend  where 
punishments  are  due.     How  could  it  be  otherwise  ? 

Through  the  blood  of  Christ,  visibly  shed  on  the 
cross,  the  dying  malefactor  obtained  the  grace  of  con- 
version. Now,  why  should  not  they  receive  the  same 
grace  who,  with  a  good  will,  assist  at  Mass,  where  the 
same  blood  is  shed  in  a  mystical  manner?  Will  God 
ihe  Father  refuse  to  grant  us  true  contrition  for  our 
sins  when  we  offer  Him  the  blood  of  His  beloved  Son 
Jesus  Christ  in  satisfaction  for  them,  and  beseech  Him, 
by  the  merits  of  this  blood,  to  have  mercy  on  us  ? 

A  nobleman,  named  Alphonsus  Albuquerque,  was 
once  on  the  point  of  being  shipwrecked.  He  had 
given  himself  up  for  lost;  but  happening  to  see  a  child 
crying  near  him,  he  took  it  into  his  arms,  and  raising 
it  towards  heaven,  he  exclaimed :  "  Lord,  if  I  do  not 
deserve  to  be  heard,  at  least  hear  the  cries  of  this  inno- 
cent babe  and  save  us."  ISio  sooner  had  he  uttered 
these  words  than  the  storm  subsided,  and  he  was  saved. 
Let  us  imitate  his  example.  We  are  in  peril;  we  have 
offended  God  and  are  in  danger  of  losing  our  immortal 
souls.  Must  we  despair  ?  ]STo ;  let  us  offer  to  God  the 
Divine  Infant  in  the  Mass,  and  say :  "  Lord,  we  have 
grievously  sinned  against  Thee,  and  are  undeserving 


OF  THE  MASS.  259 

of  pardon ;  but  look  upon  the  sufferings  of  this  Thine 
innocent  Son,  and  have  mercy  on  us!"  This  is  what 
St.  Anselm  exhorts  us  to  do.  He  says  that  Jesus 
Christ,  desirous  to  save  us  from  eternal  death,  encour- 
ages us  all,  and  says  :  "  Fear  not,  O  sinner ;  if  by  your 
sins  you  have  made  yourself  the  slave  of  hell,  and  are 
unable  to  deliver  yourself,  offer  Me  to  My  Eternal 
Father,  and  you  shall  escape  death."  And  the  Mother 
of  God  gave  the  same  advice  to  Sister  Frances  Farnese. 
She  put  the  Infant  Jesus  into  her  arms  and  said  :  "  Be- 
hold, here  is  my  Son  j  endeavor  to  save  your  soul  by 
offering  Him  frequently  to  God." 

Besides  the  remission  of  the  eternal  punishment  due 
to  sin,  we  also  obtain,  by  the  holy  sacrifice  of  the  Mass, 
the  remission  of  the  temporal  punishment.  This  grace 
we  obtain  in  proportion  to  our  good  dispositions.  On 
this  account,  the  Saints,  who  have  always  been  desirous 
to  render  to  God  a  full  satisfaction  for  their  sins,  have 
made  it  a  point  to  hear  as  many  Masses  as  possible. 
St.  Margaret  of  Cortona,  reflecting  on  her  many  griev- 
ous sins,  and  wishing  to  atone  for  them,  went  once  to 
her  confessor  and  asked  him  what  was  the  best  way  for 
her  to  make  satisfaction  to  God  for  her  sins.  He  told 
her  that  the  easiest  way  was  to  hear  as  many  Masses  as 
possible.  From  that  time  forward  she  was  very  careful 
to  assist  at  all  the  Masses  she  possibly  could. 

There  is  still  another  way  in  which  the  Mass  is  bene- 
ficial to  us.  We  need  not  only  forgiveness  of  sins,  but 
also  numberless  other  blessings  both  for  soul  and  body. 
By  the  sacrifice  of  the  Mass  we  can  obtain  all  these 


260  THE  MOST  II OL  Y  SA  ORIFICE 

favors.     Mass  is  also  an  impetratory  sacrifice.     St.  Por- 
phyria, Bishop  of  Gaza,  was  once  going  to  Constanti- 
nople to  ask  a  favor  of  the  emperor  Arcadius.     On  his 
way  he  met  the  servants  of  the  emperor  carrying  with 
them  his  infant  son,  Theodosius.     The  holy  man  im- 
mediately drew  near   and   placed   his  petition   in  the 
hands  of  the  young  prince.     The  emperor,  agreeably 
surprised  at  this  singular  artifice  of  the  bishop,  readily 
granted  his  petition  through  love  for  the  little  bearer.1 
We  must  adopt  a  similar  means,  in  order  to  obtain 
favors  from  God.     We  need  numberless  and  continual 
blessings  of  Providence;  blessings  on  our  daily  labors; 
strength  to  resist  sin  and  to  bear  patiently  the  manifold 
trials  and  contradictions  of  this  life ;  steadfastness  in 
faith,   hope,  and   charity.     Now,  in    the    Mass,  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  is  ever  ready  to  carry  up  our 
desires  to  the  throne  of  His  heavenly  Father.  *  Let  us, 
then,  with  confidence,  charge  Him  with  our  petitions,' 
and  let  us  rest  assured  that  His  heavenly  Father  will 
for  His  sake,  grant  us  all  we  ask.     There  are  innumer- 
able examples  of  the  efficacy  of  the  Mass  in  obtaining 
from  God  every  possible  grace. 

St.  Augustine  relates2  that  the  house  of  a  man,  named 
Hesperius,  was  dreadfully  disturbed,  day  and  night,  by 
evil  spirits.  But  no  sooner  had  Mass  been  celebrated 
in  it  than  all  the  disturbance  ceased,  and  nothing  of  the 
kind  ever  occurred  there  afterwards.  St.  Gregory  re- 
lates that,  on  certain  days,  the  fetters  used  to  fall  fron- 
the  hands  of  a  Christian  captive  who  had  been  take? 

1  Schmid's' Historical  Catechism.  2  De  civitate  Dei  Lib.  II.  c.  8. 


OF  THE  MASS.  261 

prisoner  by  the  barbarians,  and  after  his  deliverance 
he  found  out  that,  on  those  days,  his  relatives  had 
offered  Mass  for  him.  In  the  life  of  St.  John  the 
Almoner,  an  instructive  narrative  is  told  of  two  trades- 
men, Peter  and  John,  one  of  whom  had  a  large  family 
to  support,  while  the  other  had  to  provide  only  for 
himself  and  his  wife.  Peter,  although  he  was  accus- 
tomed to  hear  Mass  every  day,  managed  to  maintain 
his  family  very  comfortably,  while  John  could  scarcely 
gain  a  subsistence,  although  he  labored  so  hard  that  he 
very  seldom  found  time  to  hear  Mass,  and  was  some- 
times even  obliged  to  work  on  holy-days  of  obligation. 
One  day  John  asked  his  more  prosperous  neighbor  how 
it  happened  that,  with  so  large  and  helpless  a  family,  he 
always  managed  to  live  comfortably,  while  he  himself 
and  his  wTife  were  always  in  want,  although  he  worked 
day  and  night.  Peter  promised  to  show  him  the  place 
where  he  always  found  everything  he  needed.  Next 
morning  he  called  on  John  and  led  him  to  the  church, 
where  they  both  heard  Mass.  After  Mass,  Peter  took 
leave  of  him  and  went  home.  He  did  the  same  the 
next  day ;  but  upon  his  calling  the  third  day  for  the 
same  purpose,  his  friend  said :  "  If  I  had  wished  to  go 
to  Mass,  I  would  not  have  needed  you  to  lead  me  there, 
as  I  know  the  way  myself;  what  I  wanted  was  to  know 
where  you  find  your  wealth,  that  I  also  might  become 
rich."  "  I  know  no  place,"  answered  the  pious  trades- 
man, "  where  there  is  so  much  to  be  obtained  for  this 
world  and  for  the  next  as  in  the  church ;"  and  in  proof 
of  what  he  said,  he  added  the  words  of  our  Lord :  "Seek 

1 


262  THE  MOST  TTOL  Y  8 A  ORIFICE 

ye,  therefore,  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  His  justice, 
and  all  these  things  shall  be  added  unto  you."1  John 
immediately  understood  the  good  lesson  which  his 
friend  wished  to  teach  him,  and,  enlightened  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  he  resolved  to  change  his  life  and  to  hear 
Mass  every  day.  He  did  so.  In  a  very  short  time  he 
found  himself  greatly  improved  temporally  and  spirit- 
ually. 

In  the  year  871,  the  Danes  invaded  England,  and 
Ethelred,  the  king  of  England,  having  collected  a  small 
army,  went  out  to  meet  them.  But  trusting  more  in 
the  protection  of  God  than  in  the  valor  of  his  arms,  he 
went  first  to  hear  Mass.  While  he  was  assisting  at 
Mass.,  messengers  came  to  tell  him  that  the  Danes  were 
at  hand,  and  that  he  must  prepare  immediately  for  bat- 
tle; but  he  answered  that  he  would  not  go  until  he  had 
received  his  Saviour  in  Holy  Communion.  He  stayed 
in  the  church  till  Mass  was  over,  and  then  went  forth 
to  attack  his  enemies.  After  a  short  conflict  he  suc- 
ceeded in  putting  them  to  flight.2 

One  day,  as  St.  Bernard  was  about  to  say  Mass  in 
the  church  of  St.  Ambrose  at  Milan,  the  people  brought 
to  the  church  a  lady  of  high  rank,  who  had  been  sick 
for  many  years.  She  had  lost  her  sight,  her  hearing, 
and  her  speech,  and  her  tongue  had  become  so  long 
that  it  protruded  out  of  her  mouth.  St.  Bernard 
having  exhorted  the  people  to  join  him  in  praying  for 
her,  began  to  celebrate  Mass,  and  as  often  as  he  made 
the  sign  of  the  cross  over  the  host,  he  made  it  over  the 

1  Matt.  vi.  33.  ■  Baronius. 


OF  THE  MASS.  263 

sick  woman  also.  As  soon  as  he  had  broken  the  host 
and  said  :  "  Pax  Domini  sit  semper  vobiscum"  she  was 
instantly  cured.  The  people,  filled  with  joy  and  as- 
tonishment, began  to  ring  the  bells,  and  soon  the  whole 
city  hastened  to  the  church  to  witness  the  miracle  and 
to  give  thanks  to  God.1 

St.  Philip  Neri  used  to  have  recourse  to  the  sacrifice 
of  the  Mass  in  all  matters  of  importance.  By  means 
of  this  holy  sacrifice  he  succeeded  in  converting  many 
Jews  and  heretics. 

We  see  from  these  examples  the  great  power  of  the 
Mass  as  m  impetratory  sacrifice,  and  that  it  is  not  in 
vain  that  the  priest  prays  that  through  it  "  we  may  be 
filled  with  every  heavenly  blessing  and  grace."  But  I 
have  yet  one  more  grace  to  speak  of  which  we  can  ob- 
tain through  this  sacrifice.  The  Mass  is  a  very  effica- 
cious means  of  obtaining  relief  for  the  souls  in  purga- 
tory. This  is  the  common  doctrine  of  the  Fathers. 
St.  Jerome  says  that  by  every  Mass,  not  only  one,  but 
several  souls  are  delivered  from  purgatory,  and  he  is 
of  opinion  that  the  soul  for  which  the  priest  says  Mast 
suffers  no  pain  at  all  while  the  holy  sacrifice  lasts.2  The 
Fathers  of  the  Council  of  Trent  declare  that,  by  the 
sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  the  souls  in  purgatory  are  most 
efficaciously  relieved.  This  was  clearly  the  belief  of 
St.  Monica,  the  mother  of  St.  Augustine,  when  she  re- 
plied on  her  death-bed  to  her  son's  inquiries  concern- 
ing her  place  of  burial.    "  Bury  me,"  said  she,  "  where- 

1  Life  of  St.  Bernard. 

a  Apud  Bern,  de  Busto,  Serm.  3  de  Missa. 


264  TJTE  MOST  HOLY  SACRIFICE 

ever  you  please ;  all  that  I  ask  of  you  is  to  remember 
me  at  the  altar  of  the  Lord." 

In  the  time  of  St.  Bernard,  a  monk  of  Clairvaux 
appeared,  after  his  death,  to  his  brethren  in  religion  to 
thank  them  for  having  delivered  him  from  purgatory. 
On  being  asked  what  had  contributed  most  to  free  him 
from  his  torments,  he  led  the  inquirer  to  the  church 
where  a  priest  was  saying  Mass.  "Look,"  said  he, 
"  this  is  the  means  by  which  my  deliverance  has  been 
effected ;  this  is  the  power  of  God's  mercy ;  this  is  the 
salutary  sacrifice  which  takes  away  the  sins  of  the 
world."  Indeed,  so  great  is  the  efficacy  of  this  sacri- 
fice to  obtain  relief  for  the  souls  in  purgatory,  that  die 
application  of  all  the  good  works  which  have  been  per- 
formed from  the  beginning  of  the  world  would  not 
afford  so  much  assistance  to  one  of  these  souls  as  would 
be  imparted  by  a  single  Mass.  I  will  illustrate  this  by 
an  example  drawn  from  the  history  of  the  Order  of  St. 
Dominic.  The  Blessed  Henry  Suso  made  an  agreement 
with  one  of  his  brethren  in  religion  that  as  soon  as  one 
of  them  died  the  survivor  should  say  two  Masses  every 
week,  for  one  year,  for  the  repose  of  his  soul.  It  came 
to  pass  that  the  religious  with  whom  Henry  had  made 
this  contract  died  first.  Henry  prayed  every  day  for 
his  deliverance  from  purgatory,  but  forgot  to  say  the 
Masses  which  he  had  promised.  The  deceased  appeared 
to  him  with  a  sad  countenance,  and  sharply  rebuked 
him  for  his  unfaithfulness  to  his  engagement.  Henry 
excused  himself  by  saying  that  he  had  often  prayed  for 
him  with  great  fervor,  and  had  even  offered  up  peni- 


OF  THE  MASS.  265 

tential  works  for  him.  "  O,  my  brother,"  exclaimed 
the  soul,  "  blood,  blood  is  necessary  to  give  me  some 
relief  and  refreshment  in  my  excruciating  torments. 
Thy  penitential  works,  severe  as  they  are,  cannot  de- 
liver me.  There  is  nothing  that  .can  do  this  but  the 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  is  offered  up  in  the  sacri- 
fice of  the  Mass.  Masses,  Masses,  these  are  what  I 
need." 

If,  then,  dear  Christian,  you  wish  to  offer  the  Divine 
Majesty  a  fitting  worship ;  if  you  wish  to  thank  Him 
as  you  ought  for  the  innumerable  benefits  He  has  con- 
ferred on  you ;  if  you  wish  to  expiate  the  sins  you  have 
committed  against  Him;  if  you  wish  to  obtain  for 
yourself  and  others  all  the  blessings  you  need  for  soul 
and  body ;  if  you  wish  to  practise  charity  to  the  suffer- 
ing souls  in  purgatory,  you  will  find  a  suitable  means 
to  do  all  this  in  the  sacrifice  of  the  Mass.  You  have 
bun  to  unite  your  homage,  your  thanksgiving,  your 
contrition,  and  your  petitions  to  the  fourfold  offering 
which  Jesus  Christ  therein  makes  for  you ;  v0u  have 
but  to  offer  to  the  Eternal  Father  the  victim  that  k 
mystically  immolated  on  the  altar,  and  your  worship 
becomes  infinitely  pleasing  to  God,  and  infinitely  profit- 
able to  you. 

The  Mass,  in  itself,  is,  indeed,  always  of  the  same 
value,  whether  those  who  assist  at  it  be  devout  or  in- 
devout;  but  the  fruit  we  derive  from  it  is  greater  or 
less,  according  to  our  dispositions.  When  our  Lord 
offered  His  life  on  the  cross  as  a  sacrifice  for  the  sins 
of  the  world,  those  who  were  present  received  the  fruits 
23 


266  THE  MOST  HOLY  SACRIFICE 

of  that  sacrifice  in  very  different  degrees.  Some  received 
no  grace  at  all,  but  went  away  as  hardened  as  they  had 
come,  while  others  received  great  and  special  favors. 
The  good  thief  obtained  an  entire  remission  of  all  his 
sins  and  of  the  punishment  due  to  them  ;  St.  Mary 
Magdalene  received  a  large  increase  of  sanctifying 
grace.  So  it  is  also  at  Mass.  The  Council  of  Trent 
says  that  God  gives  the  grace  of  contrition  and  forgive- 
ness of  sins  to  those  who  assist  at  this  sacrifice  with  a 
sincere  heart,  with  faith  and  reverence.  The  same  may 
be  said  of  all  other  blessings ;  —  they  are  given  more  or 
less  in  proportion  to  the  devotion  and  purity  of  inten- 
tion of  those  who  assist  at  Mass.  In  one  of  the  prayers 
which  the  priest  recites  in  the  canon,  he  says :  "  Be 
mindful,  O  Lord,  of  all  here  present,  whose  faith  and 
piety  are  known  to  Thee."  It  follows  from  this  that 
one  person  may  gain  more  graces  from  a  single  Mass 
than  another  would  gain  from  twenty  or  thirty.  When 
you  go  to  the  well  to  draw  water,  you  can  only  take  as 
much  as  your  vessel  will  hold ;  if  it  be  large,  you  can 
draw  much  water;  if  it  be  small,  you  can  draw  but 
little.  Now,  the  Mass  is  an  inexhaustible  fountain  of 
blessings;  it  is,  to  use  the  language  of  Scripture,  the 
Saviour's  fountain,  from  which  the  precious  graces  He 
has  merited  for  us,  gush  forth  upon  our  souls ;  and  the 
vessel  in  which  we  receive  these  graces  are  our  faith 
and  devotion.  If  our  faith  be  lively  and  our  devotion 
ardent,  the  blessings  of  heaven  will  fill  our  hearts ;  if 
our  hearts  be  filled  with  the  thoughts  of  this  world,  we 
F.hall  receive  but  a  small  share  of  these  blessings.     All 


OF  THE  MASS  267 

<5his  was  once  shown  in  a  vision  to  Nicholas  de  la  Flue, 
a  holy  hermit  of  Switzerland,  who  was  greatly  en- 
lightened by  God  in  spiritual  matters.  While  this 
good  man  was  one  day  present  at  Mass,  he  saw  a  large 
tree  full  of  the  most  beautiful  flowers.  He  soon  no- 
ticed that  the  flowers  began  to  fall  down  upon  those 
who  were  present.  But  some  of  the  flowers,  as  soon  as 
they  fell,  became  withered  and  dry,  while  others  re- 
tained their  freshness  and  fragrance.  After  Mass,  he 
related  this  vision  to  his  brother,  and  requested  him  to 
explain  its  meaning.  The  brother  replied  that  he,  too, 
had  seen  the  vision,  and  he  explained  it  as  follows: 
"  The  tree,"  said  he,  "  is  the  Holy  Mass ;  the  beautiful 
flowers  which  it  bears  are  the  fruits  of  the  Holy  Mass ; 
the  withering  of  many  of  the  flowers  signifies  that 
many  of  the  graces  which  our  Lord  distributes  in  the 
Mass  are  lost,  because  Christians  are  not  recollected 
and  devout  while  they  assist  at  this  sacrifice,  or  because 
they  afterwards  allow  worldly  thoughts  to  stifle  all  the 
good  inspirations  which  they  have  received ;  the  flowers, 
which  retained  their  odor  and  beauty,  signify  the  per- 
manent fruits  which  those  Christians  derive  from  the 
Mass  who  assist  at  it  with  reverence  and  devotion,  and 
who,  after  having  left  the  church,  are  still  mindful  of 
the  great  blessings  which  they  have  received  from  this 
holy  sacrifice.1 

After  having  seen  of  what  great  importance  it  is  to 
hear  Mass  devoutly,  you  will  not  be  surprised  to  learn 
that  the  devil  makes  every  effort  to  distract  Christians 

1  Dr.  Herbst.  vol.  II.  p.  409. 


268  THE  M  OST  H OL  Y  8 A  ORIFICE 

whilo  they  are  assisting  at  this  holy  sacrifice.  It  has 
been  often  remarked  that  infidels  and  idolaters  never 
behave  disrespectfully  at  the  sacrifices  which  they  offer 
to  their  false  gods.  Now,  this  is  not  strange,  for,  as 
Picus  Mirandola  justly  remarks,  there  is  no  reason  why 
the  devil  should  tempt  them  to  irreverence,  since  it  is 
he  himself  who  is  honored  by  their  superstitious  cere- 
monies ;  but  as  he  knows  how  highly  God  is  honored 
by  the  great  sacrifice  of  the  Christians,  he  does  all  in 
his  power  to  keep  the  faithful  from  church,  or,  at  least, 
to  make  them  indevout  or  irreverent  when  they  are 
there.  Once,  when  the  Israelites  were  fighting  against 
the  Philistines,  and  were  on  the  point  of  being  debated, 
they  had  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  brought  to  the  camp. 
As  soon  as  it  came,  they  all  raised  a  great  shout,  so  that 
the  earth  rang  again.  The  Philistines  heard  the  shout, 
and  were  struck  with  terror  on  learning  that  the  God 
Who  had  done  such  wonderful  things  against  the 
Egyptians  was  come  into  the  camp  of  their  enemies. 
"  Woe,  woe  to  us  ! "  they  cried  ;  "  who  shall  deliver  us 
from  the  hands  of  these  high  gods?"  Plowever,  driven 
to  desperation  by  the  greatness  of  their  danger,  they 
exhorted  one  another  to  fight  manfully  :  "  Let  us  take 
courage,"  they  cried  ;  "let  us  behave  like  men,  O  Phil- 
istines !  lest  we  become  the  servants  of  the  Hebrews,  as 
they  have  served  us.  Let  us  take  courage  and  fight 
bravely."1  In  like  manner,  when  the  signal  is  given 
for  beginning  Mass,  the  great  adversary  of  mankind  ia 
seized  with  rage  and  terror.     "  Woe  !  woe !  "  he  cries, 

1  1  Kings  iv.  5,  10. 


OF  THE  MASS.  200 

"  what  shall  we  do  !  This  is  that  sacrifice  which  every 
day  snatches  so  many  souls  from  our  grasp ;  this  is  the 
weapon  with  which  Antony  and  Francis,  and  so  many 
others,  have  defeated  us  and  weakened  our  power. 
■'What  shall  we  do ! "  Then,  urged  on  by  the  rage  he 
feels  at  his  own  impotence,  he  employs  all  his  cunning 
to  destroy  at  least  some  part  of  the  good  fruits  of  the 
Mass ;  he  prevents  the  sinner  from  escaping  from  his 
power  by  placing  before  him  some  dangerous  object  on 
which  his  eyes  may  rest;  he  deprives  the  devout  Chris- 
tian of  the  strength  and  consolation  which  he  would 
have  received  during  Mass  by  filling  his  mind  with 
vain  thoughts  and  worldly  cares,  so  that  he  cannot 
attend  to  what  is  going  on;  and  thus  he  gradually 
leads  him  into  mortal  sin.  It  is  thus  that,  notwith- 
standing the  presence  of  God  on  our  altars  and  the 
infinite  value  of  the  sacrifice,, so  many  precious  graces 
are  lost  during  Mass. 

In  order  to  reap  all  the  fruits  of  the  Mass,  you  should 
unite  your  intention  at  the  beginning  with  that  of  the 
priest  who  offers  the  Holy  Sacrifice.  You  may  do  this 
briefly,  thus :  "  O,  my  Lord,  I  offer  up  to  Thee  this 
Sacrifice  for  the  same  ends  for  which  Thou  didst  insti- 
tute it,  and  for  which  Thy  priest  now  celebrates  it,  be- 
seeching Thee  to  grant  that  the  souls  of  the  living  as 
well  as  the  souls  in  purgatory  may  share  in  its  fruits." 
After  this  you  may  spend  the  time  of  Mass  in  such 
prayers  as  your  devotion  may  suggest.  According  to 
the  Blessed  Leonard  of  Port  Maurice,  it  is  a  very  good 
plan  to  divide  the  whole  Mass  into  four  parts,  corre- 
23* 


270  THE  MOS T  HOL  Y  SA  ORIFICE 

sponding  to  the  four  principal  objects  for  which  Mass  is 
offered,  that  is  to  say  :  to  consider  the  Mass  from  the 
beginning  to  the  Gospel,  as  a.  sacrifice  of  propitiation ; 
from  the  Gospel  to  the  elevation  as  a  sacrifice  of  impe- 
tartion  ;  from  the  elevation  to  the  communion  as  a  sac- 
rifice of  adoration  ;  and  from  the  communion  to  the  end 
as  a  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving.  In  the  first  part  you 
will  consider  the  holiness  of  God  and  the  enormity  of 
sin ;  and  bewailing  your  offences,  you  can  offer  the  Im- 
maculate Lamb  to  the  Father,  and  ask,  in  the  name  of 
that  Immaculate  Lamb,  a  more  complete  forgiveness  of 
your  sins  and  of  the  temporal  punishment  due  to  them, 
and  a  more  profound  spirit  of  penance.  In  the  second 
part,  you  can  offer  this  sacrifice  to  obtain  special  graces 
from  God  for  yourself  and  others ;  pray  for  the  welfare 
of  Christendom,  for  the  propagation  of  the  Catholic 
faith,  for  the  extirpation  of  heresy,  for  peace  among 
Christian  rulers,  for  grace  to  fight  against  your  beset- 
ting sin ;  and  be  not  unmindful  of  the  poor  souls  in 
purgatory.  In  the  third  part,  you  will  consider  youi 
own  nothingness  and  God's  greatness ;  then  offer  up  to 
Him  the  homage  of  His  well-beloved  Son,  and  in  union 
with  the  same  sublime  homage  of  Jesus  Christ  offer  up 
your  own  acts  of  adoration  to  the  Heavenly  Father. 
You  can  rejoice  in  His  glory  and  desire,  that  all  men 
should  render  Him  due  honor.  In  the  fourth  part, 
you  may  consider  what  God  is  in  Himself,  and  what 
He  is  in  His  saints,  and  offering  to  Him  the  thanksgiv- 
ing which  Jesus  Christ  makes  in  the  Mass,  you  may 
add  an  affectionate  oblation  of  yourself  and  of  all  you 


OF  THE  MASS.  271 

/*T*ve,  in  return  for  the  great  mercies  He  lias  shown  you. 
Xou  may  here  make  a  special  acknowledgment  of  the 
graces  which  the  Lord  has  bestowed  on  the  Blessed 
Virgin  Mary,  our  Mother,  and  on  your  Angel  Guardian; 
or,  at  the  beginning  of  Mass,  you  may  briefly  make 
these  intentions,  and  spend  the  rest  of  the  time  in  medi- 
tating on  the  passion  of  Jesus  Christ,  or  on  some  eter- 
nal truth ;  or  you  may  here  make  use  of  your  Book  of 
Devotions ;  or  you  may  say  the  Rosary  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin.  In  case  you  say  the  Rosary,  it  is  good  after 
the  word  «  Jesus"  in  each  Hail  Mary,  to  add :  «  Who 
offers  Himself  in  this  sacrifice  to  His  Heavenly  Father." 
By  these  means  the  time  of  Mass  will  never  seem  irk- 
some, and  you  will  derive  great  fruit  from  the  most 
holy  sacrifice. 

After  all  these  reflections  on  Mass,  no  one  will  find 
it  strange  if  the  holy  Church  obliges  her  children  under 
pain  of  mortal  sin  to  assist  at  this  holy  sacrifice  on  Sun- 
days and  festivals  of  obligation.  On  other  days,  it  is 
true,  the  faithful  are  not  bound  to  hear  Mass,  but  our 
holy  Mother,  the  Church,  earnestly  wishes  that  all  her 
children  should  and  would  assist  at  this  salutary  sac- 
rifice as  often  as  possible.  In  most  churches  Mass  is 
said  every  day,  in  some  several  times  a  day;  and  wher- 
ever it  is  offered  the  people  are  invited  to  assist.  The 
good  Catholic  then  will  feel  himself  impelled  always  to 
assist  at  this  holy  "sacrifice,  unless  an  important  reason 
prevents  him  from  so  doing.  I  could  cite  you  many 
interesting  examples  which  would  show  you  how  anxious 
pious  Catholics  have  always  been  to  hear  Mass.     St. 


272  THE  MOST  HOLY  SACRIFICE 

Louis,  King  of  France,  used  to  hear  two  Masses  every 
day  j  sometimes  even  three  or  four.  Some  of  his 
courtiers  murmured  at  this,  but  the  King  gave  them  a 
sharp  reprimand,  saying :  "  If  I  were  to  ask  you  to 
play,  or  to  go  hunting  with  me  three  or  four  times  a 
day,  you  would  find  no  time  too  long,  and  now  you  feel 
weary  of  staying  in  the  church  during  one  or  two 
Masses  for  the  honor  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour."  '  In 
the  time  of  Queen  Elizabeth  of  England,  when  the  se- 
vere prohibitions  against  the  exercise  of  the  Catholic 
religion  were  in  force,  a  rich  Catholic  was  condemned 
to  pay  five  hundred  scudi  in  gold  for  having  dared  to 
assist  at  Mass.  The  nobleman  selected  the  brightest 
and  most  beautiful  pieces  of  Portuguese  gold,  on  which 
the  cross  was  stamped.  Presenting  them  to  the  officers, 
one  of  them,  a  Protestant,  smiled  and  made  some  jocose 
remark  with  reference  to  the  beauty  of  the  coins.  "  I 
would  have  considered  it  a  sort  of  sacrilege,"  said  the 
Catholic,  "  to  offer  a  baser  coin  to  pay  for  the  privilege 
of  adoring  my  Saviour  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  This 
cross,"  pointing  to  the  crest  on  the  piece,  "  reminds  me 
of  the  Cross  of  my  Lord,  which  I  shall  ever  be  willing 
to  bear  for  His  sake ;  the  purity  of  the  gold  recalls  to 
my  mind  the  purity  of  His  love,  which  I  shall  evei 
seek  and  treasure  up." 2 

Gillois  relates  that  in  the  beginning  of  the  presenl 
century,  there  lived  in  Poibon,  a  town  in  the  clioces* 
of  Grenoble,  a  peasant,  who  by  his  great  devotion  at 
Mass  edified  every  one  who  saw  him.     He  lived  three 

1  Rainaldus  in  Annal.  1270,  No.  19.  Q  Schmidt's  Example-book. 


OF  THE  MASS.  273 

miles  from  the  church,  and  yet  he  never  failed  to  he 
one  of  the  first  worshippers  in  the  morning.  In  the 
latter  years  of  his  life,  he  was  subject  to  severe  pains  in 
his  legs,  which  prevented  his  walking  so  far  in  the  win- 
ter season,  but  as  soon  as  the  spring  came  on,  he  used 
to  rise  about  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  dragging 
himself  by  means  of  crutches,  reached  the  church  after 
a  painful  and  laborious  walk  of  four  hours. 

Sir  Thomas  More,  Martyr,  and  Chancellor  of  Eng- 
land, daily  assisted  at  Mass  with  the  greatest  reverence 
and  devotion.  On  one  occasion,  while  hearing  Mass, 
he  was  sent  for  by  the  King,  apparently  on  urgent  busi- 
ness, but  he  did  not  stir ;  soon  after  a  second  messen- 
ger came,  and  after  a  while  a  third,  with  the  express 
command  to  leave  the  church  immediately  and  come  to 
the  royal  chamber,  where  the  King  awaited  him,  he 
replied  :  "  I  am  now  serving  the  Lord  of  lords,  Whose 
service  I  must  first  perform." 1  Would  to  God  that 
you,  too,  would  imitate  such  fervent  Christians.  The 
Apostle  St.  Paul,  speaking  of  the  blessedness  of  those 
who  believe  in  Christ,  says  :  "  I  give  thanks  to  my 
God  always  for  you,  for  the  grace  of  God,  that  is  given 
you  in  Christ  Jesus :  that  in  every  thing  ye  are  made 
rich  in  Him  in  all  utterance  and  in  all  knowledge,  so 
that  nothing  is  wanting  to  you  in  any  grace.2 

Mass  alone  of  itself  is  an  inexhaustible  treasure  of 
graces.  Be  careful  to  profit  well  by  it.  Resolve,  if 
possible,  to  hear  Mass  every  day.  Do  not  imitate  those 
lukewarm  Christians,  who  stay  away  from  church  for 

1  Staplcton's  Life  of  Sir  Thowm3  More,  chap.  &, 
•  1  Cor.  i.  4-6. 


274  THE  MOST  HOLY  SACRIFICE 

the  most  trivial  reasons.  For  them,  a  little  rain,  a  damp 
mist,  the  slight  inconvenience  of  heat,  a  little  moisture 
under  foot,  rise  up  as  a  sufficient  excuse.  Early  in  the 
morning,  when  angels  are  descending  from  heaven  to 
take  their  stand  around  the  altar  of  the  Most  High,  do 
you,  too,  set  out  to  assist  at  the  holy  sacrifice,  and  emu- 
late their  devotion  during  the  performance  of  this  stu- 
pendous mystery.  Do  not  think  the  time  is  lost  which 
you  spend  in  hearing  Mass ;  it  will  prove  most  profi- 
table to  you  in  this  life  and  in  the  next  also.  See  how 
many  sins  you  will  expiate  by  it !  how  many  punish- 
ments you  will  avert !  how  many  graces  you  will  draw 
down  upon  yourself  and  others !  how  many  merits  you 
will  store  up  for  heaven  !  This  I  can  promise  you  :  be 
diligent  in  hearing  Mass,  and  you  will  find  in  it  all  that 
you  need,  your  happiness  here  below  and  your  happi- 
ness hereafter.  Amid  all  the  vicissitudes  of  life,  at  the 
Altar  you  will  find  true  peace  and  support.  At  one 
time  it  will  be  Mount  Calvary  for  you,  where  you  will 
weep  tears  of  sympathy  for  your  Saviour  and  of  grief 
for  your  sins  and  for  those  of  others ;  at  another  time 
it  will  be  Mount  Thabor,  where  heavenly  joy  will  be 
poured  into  your  sorrowing  heart  and  tears  will  be  wiped 
away  from  your  eyes.  Again,  that  same  Altar  will  be 
a  Crib  of  Bethlehem  for  you,  where  you  will  gather 
strength  to  bear  contempt,  poverty,  pain  and  desolation. 
Yes,  at  the  Altar  you  will  find  that  Mount  of  Beati- 
tudes, where  you  will  learn  the  vanity  of  all  earthly 
things,  and  the  way  to  true  and  lasting  pleasure ;  and, 
in  fine,  it  will  be  to  you  Golgotha,  where  you  will  learn 


OF  TEE  MASS.  275 

to  die  to  yourself  and  to  live  to  Him  Who  died  for  you. 
All  this  and  much  more  you  will  find  in  the  MafcS,  if 
you  cherish  a  tender  devotion  to  it.  Persevere  in  this 
devotion  and  you  will  soon  experience  the  truth  of  what 
I  have  said,  tasting  the  sweets  of  those  inspired  ejacu- 
lations :  "  How  lovely  are  Thy  tabernacles,  O  Lord  of 
Hosts  !  Thou  hast  prepared  a  table  before  me  against 
them  that  trouble  me.  Better  is  one  day  in  Thy  courts 
above  thousands  !  Blessed  are  they  that  dwell  in  Thy 
house,   O  Lord  :  they  shall   praise  Thee  forever  and 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

ON  TEE  CEREMONIES  OF  MASS. 


^Hxl0IJ  may  ask>  dear  reader> " If  our  Lord  a]s° 

mMl  °rdained  the  ceremonies  of  Mass  ?"    I  answer 
g|Jp|    no.     He  instituted  only  the  essential  parts  of 
^-^£i  the  Mass.     He  left  it  to  His  Church  to  pre- 
scribe the  rites  and   ceremonies  to  be  observed  in  its 
celebration.    However,  most  of  the  ceremonies  of  Mass 
are  of  great  antiquity,  and  many  of  them  are,  without 
doubt,  of  Apostolic  origin.     It  is  principally  for  two 
reasons  that  the  Church  has  prescribed  so  many  cere- 
monies in  the  celebration  of  Mass.    First,  because  Mass, 
being  the  highest  act  of  religious  worship,  the  Church' 
desires  that  it  should  be  celebrated  with  a  solemnity  and 
reverence  corresponding  in  some  degree  to  the  greatness 
of  the  sacrifice.     Secondly,  because,  if  the  various  cere^ 
monies  6f  Mass  are  well  understood,  they  will  greatly 
excite  and  foster  a  reverence  and  spirit  of  devotion  it 
the  hearts  of  the  faithful.     They  all  refer  to  our  Sa- 
viour's passion  and  death,  of  which  the  Mass  is  a  com- 
memoration.    Hence  the  ritual  of  the  Mass  is  arranged 
in  accordance  with  the  awful  tragedy  of  Calvary.     The 


ON  THE  CEREMONIES  OF  MASS.  277 

priest,  the  representative  of  Christ,  is  clad  in  garments 
like  those  in  which  the  Redeemer  was  attired  on  the 
day  of  His  cruel  death.  The  amice  or  white  cloth 
worn  around  his  neck,  represents  the  handkerchief  with 
which  our  Lord  was  blindfolded;  the  alb,  or  long 
white  garment,  signifies  the  white  robe  which  Herod 
put  on  our  Saviour  in  mockery  ;  the  cincture  or  girdle, 
the  maniple  on  the  left  arm,  and  the  stole  passing  round 
the  neck  and  crossed  upon  the  breast,  represent  the 
cords  and  strings  with  which  our  Lord  was  bound,  and 
by  which  He  was  dragged  through  the  streets  of  Jeru- 
salem ;  the  chasuble,  worn  over  all  the  others,  signifies 
the  scarlet  robe  in  which  He  was  arrayed  when  Pilate 
showed  Him  to  the  people,  saying :  "  Behold  the  man  ! " 
the  altar,  with  its  crucifix,  represents  Mount  Calvary  ; 
the  chalice  signifies  the  Saviour's  tomb ;  the  paten,  his 
tombstone,  and  the  purifier,  with  the  pall  and  corporal, 
the  linen  cloths  in  which  His  Sacred  Body  was  wrapped 
when  it  was  laid  in  the  tomb. 

When  the  priest  begins  Mass,  he  says  with  the 
Server  some  prayers  at  the  foot  of  the  altar,  during 
which  he  bows  very  profoundly.  This  signifies  our 
Lord's  entering  upon  His  passion  in  the  garden  of 
Gethsemani,  where  He  sweat  blood  and  prayed  pros- 
trate on  the  ground.  These  prayers  of  the  priest  are  a 
kind  of  preparation  for  Mass.  He  begins  by  saying: 
"In  nomine  Patris,  et  Filii  et  Spiritus  SancU,"  —"In 
the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost."  It  is  as  much  as  to  say :  "  1  act  now  by 
the  authority  of  God  the  Father,  Whose  priest  I  am  • 
24 


278  ON  THE  CEREMONIES  OF  MASS. 

and  of  God  the  Son,  in  Whose  place  I  am  priest ;  and 
of  God  the  Holy  Ghost,  by  Whom  I  am  priest;"  or, 
"I  offer  this  sacrifice  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  to 
Whom  I  offer  it ;  and  of  the  Son,  Whom  I  offer ;  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  by  Whom  I  offer  it."  Then  he 
says  a  psalm  expressive  of  humble  trust  in  God,  which 
is  followed  by  the  confiteor  and  the  ordinary  prayers 
accompanying  it.  After  this  he  ascends  the  altar  and 
kisses  it.  This  part  reminds  us  of  the  seizure  of  our 
Lord  by  the  Jewish  multitude,  into  whose  hands  he 
was  betrayed  by  the  perfidious  kiss  and  cruel  treachery 
of  Judas.  And  now  begins  what  may  be  called  the 
preliminary  part  of  the  Mass,  which  answers  to  the 
time  when  our  Lord  was  interrogated  about  His  doc- 
trine before  the  tribunals  of  Caiphas  and  Pilate ;  it  lasts 
till  the  end  of  the  creed.  Having  read  the  Introit,  or 
short  verses  from  Scripture,  the  priest  says  nine  times, 
" Kyrie  eleison"  Lord  have  mercy  on  us,  thereby 
giving  us  to  understand  how  constant  and  persevering 
we  ought  to  be  in  prayer.  Immediately  after  the 
Kyrie  follows  the  Gloria  in  excelsis,  the  hymn  which 
the  angels  sang  at  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ.  Surely 
if  such  a  hymn  of  praise  was  sung  by  the  heavenly 
choirs  when  our  Saviour  commenced  the  work  of  our 
redemption,  we  ought  to  render  to  Him  a  tribute  of 
gratitude  no  less  fervent  when  at  holy  Mass  we  com- 
memorate and  participate  in  all  His  benefits  and  merits. 
Therefore,  every  one  should  recite  this  divine  hymn 
along  with  the  priest,  or  at  least  join  his  intention  with 
him,  and  say  some   Gloria  Patri,  by  way  of  thanks- 


ON  THE  CEREMONIES  OF  MASS.  279 

giving.  After  the  Gloria,  the  priest  turns  to  the 
people  and  says,  Dominus  vobiscum,  and  the  Server,  in 
their  name,  replies,  Et  cum  spiritu  tuo,  a  salutation  and 
response  which  occur  very  often  during  Mass.  The 
meaning  of  the  former  is,  "  The  Lord  be  with  you," 
and  of  the  latter,  "And  with  thy  spirit,"  and  the 
Church  intends,  by  this  frequent  interchange  of  holy 
affections  between  the  priest  and  the  people,  to  excite 
devotion,  and  to  teach  us  how  we  should  desire,  above 
all  things,  to  remain  always  in  the  peace  of  God.  The 
priest  extends  his  arms  when  he  says  these  words, 
to  express  the  exceedingly  great  charity  which  Jesus 
Christ  bears  towards  the  faithful,  and  to  show  how  He 
wishes  them  ever  to  remain  united  to  Him  in  the  bonds 
of  true  love,  and  obedient  to  His  commandments.  The 
outstretched  hands  of  the  priest  at  the  "  Dominus 
vobiscum"  signify  also  the  outstretched  arms  of  our 
dying  Lord  on  the  Cross,  Who,  dying  for  all  mankind, 
wished  to  receive  them  in  His  arms  and  press  them  to 
His  heart  in  token  of  His  undying  love  for  them.  The 
Dominus  vobiscum  is  followed  by  the  collect  of  the 
day,  and  after  that  follow  the  Epistle  and  the  Gospel. 
These  vary  according  to  the  season,  and  may  be  found 
translated  in  many  of  the  ordinary  .  prayer-books. 
When  the  Epistle  is  ended,  the  Server  says,  Deo 
Gratias,  "  Thanks  be  to  God,"  that  is  to  say,  for  the 
good  instruction  contained  in  the  Epistle;  the  Server 
then  carries  the  Missal  to  the  other  side  of  the  altar  for 
the  reading  of  the  Gospel — at  the  left.  This  signifies 
that,  after  our  Lord  had  been  taken  prisoner,  He  was 


280  ON  THE  CEREMONIES  OF  MASS. 

led  about  from  one  iniquitous  judge  to  another;  from 
Annas  to  Caiphas,  from  Caiphas  to  Pilate,  from  Pilate 
to  Herod,  and  from  Herod  back  again  to  Pilate.  This 
ceremony  means  also  that  when  the  Jews  had  rejected 
the  Gospel,  it  passed  over  to  the  Gentiles  who  received 
it  with  joy.  When  the  priest  begins  the  Gospel,  he 
makes  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  the  Book  to  remind  us 
that  our  Lord  died  for  the  truth  of  the  doctrine  which 
He  taught,  and  that  we,  also,  should  ever  be  ready  to 
lay  down  our  lives  for  the  same  truth.  After  that,  the 
priest  makes  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  his  forehead,  on 
his  lips,  and  on  his  heart,  and  the  people  do  the  same. 
This  action  is  very  significant,  and  should  never  be 
omitted.  By  signing  the  forehead  with  the  sign  of  the 
cross,  we  declare  that  wTe  entirely  submit  our  minds  to 
the  teaching  of  faith ;  by  signing  the  lips  we  testify  our 
readiness  to  profess  our  faith  before  men  ;  and  by  sign- 
ing the  heart  we  remind  ourselves  of  the  duty  of  care- 
fully preserving  the  word  of  God  in  our  hearts.  At 
the  end  of  the  Gospel  the  Server  says,  Laus  tibi, 
Christe,  "Praise  be  to  Thee,  O  Christ!"  viz:  for  His 
love,  shown  in  the  work  of  Redemption,  which  the 
Gospel  makes  known  to  us.  The  Gospel  is  followed 
by  the  Creed,  or  explicit  confession  of  the  truths  which 
our  Saviour  has  taught  us ;  and  when  the  priest  says 
Et  incarnatus  est,  etc.,  all  kneel  down  in  adoring  grat- 
itude to  the  Son  of  God  for  having  become  man  for  us. 
Now  begins  the  Offertory,  or  the  first  part  of  the 
Mass,  with  which  Mass  may  properly  be  said  to  com- 
mence.    The  priest  uncovers  the  chalice,  and,  taking 


ON  THE  CEREMONIES  OF  MASS.  281 

the  paten  with  the  host  upon  it,  in  his  hands,  he  sol- 
emnly offers  it  to  God  the  Father.  He  afterwards  does 
the  same  with  the  chalice,  into  which  he  has  poured  the 
wine ;  but  before  offering  the  chalice  he  drops  into  it  a 
little  water,  in  remembrance  of  the  water  that  flowed 
from  our  Saviour's  side,  and  also  to  signify  that  as  the 
wTater  becomes  inseparably  incorporated  with  the  wine, 
so  are  we  closely  united  to  Jesus  Christ  in  Holy  Com- 
munion. Then  turning  to  the  people  he  says,  Orate, 
Fratres,  etc.,  "Pray,  my  brethren,"  thereby  inviting 
them  to  join  with  him  in  more  instant  supplications 
that  the  sacrifice  which  he  is  about  to  complete  may  be 
offered  with  suitable  devotion.  We  have  seen  that  St. 
Chrysostom,  speaking  of  the  moment  in  which  this  tre- 
mendous sacrifice  is  consummated,  says :  "  so  great  is 
then  the  abstraction  of  the  pious  mind  from  all  sublu- 
nary things,  that  it  seems  as  if  one  were  caught  up  into 
Paradise  and  saw  the  things  that  are  done  in  Heaven 
itself."  It  is  possible  that  when  he  wrote  these  words 
he  may  have  had  in  his  mind  the  part  of  the  service 
which  comes  next  in  order;  for  now  the  priest  calls 
upon  the  people  to  banish  all  earthly  thoughts,  and  to 
think  of  God  alone,  saying,  Sursum  Corda  !  "  Lift  up 
your  hearts;"  and  the  people,  in  obedience  to  the  call, 
answer  by  the  Server,  Habemus  ad  Bominum,  "  We  lift 
them  up  to  the  Lord."  Then  once  more  he  appeals  to 
them,  saying,  in  view  of  the  countless  mercies  of  God, 
Gratias  agamus  Domino  Leo  nostro,  "  Let  us  give 
thanks  to  the  Lord,  our  God;"  and  they  answer  as 
before,  Dignum  et  justum  est,  "It  is  meet  and  just;" 
24* 


282  ON  THE  CEREMONIES  OF  MASS. 

whereupon,  taking  up  the  words  which  they  have  just 
uttered,  he  proceeds:  "It  is  very  meet,  just,  right,  and 
salutary,  that  we  should  always,  and  in  all  places,  give 
thanks  to  Thee,  O  holy  Lord,  Father  Almighty,  Eter- 
nal God,  through  Christ,  our  Lord."     This  part  of  the 
service  is  called  the  preface,  and  it  includes  a  particular 
thanksgiving  for  the  special  blessings  which  the  holy 
Church  commemorates.     The  preface  ends  with  a  peti- 
tion that  our  praises  be  accepted  before  the  altar  of  the 
Most  High,  in  union  with  the  adoration  of  the  Angels, 
who  rest  not  day  or  night,  saying,  "Holy,  holy,  holy 
Lord  God  of  hosts  !»     At  these  words  the  sanctus  bell 
is  rung  to  give  notice  of  the  approaching  consecration. 
Here  all  should  kneel  and  keep  as  quiet  as  possible, 
avoiding  even  coughing  or  moving  unnecessarily ;  for 
now  the  canon  or  most  solemn  part  of  the  Mass  begins, 
and  the  consecration,  or  the  second  and  most  essential 
part  of  the  Mass,  soon  takes  place.     When  in  the  act 
of  consecrating,  the   priest  performs  the  same  actior. 
which  Jesus  Christ  performed  at  the  Last  Supper.     He 
takes  the  host  into  his  hands,  and,  lifting  up  his  eyes 
to  Heaven,  he  repeats  the  words  which  our  Lord  made 
use  of;  and,  by  the  divine  power  of  those  words,  the 
bread  is  changed  into  the  true  body  of  our  Saviour. 
After  this  he  pronounces  the  words  of  consecration  over 
the  wine  in  the  chalice.     The  bell  is  rung  three  times 
at  each  consecration  as  a  warning  to  the  people  to  adore 
Jesus  Christ  present  on  the  altar.    This  is  done  accord- 
ing to  the  ancient  usage  of  the  Church.     "No  one," 
says   St.  Augustine,    "eats    of  this   flesh  — the   Holy 
Eucharist —without  having  first  adored  it," 


ON  THE  CEREMONIES  OF  MASS.  283 

The  priest  elevates  the  host  after  he  has  consecrated 
•t,  and  so  he  does  with  the  chalice,  in  order  that  the 
faithful  may  compensate,  in  some  degree,  by  the  loving 
adoration  of  their  hearts,  for  the  insults,  mockeries,  and 
injuries  which  our  Lord  received  when  He  was  lifted 
up  on  the  cross.  .  The  priest  also  makes  the  sign  of  the 
cross  very  often  over  the  sacred  species.     This  is  to 
remind  us  of  the  many  pains  and  sorrows  which  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  endured  for  us  during  His  crucifix- 
ion.   All  the  prayers  of  the  canon  are  said  by  the  priest 
in  such  a  low  tone  of  voice  that  they  cannot  be  heard. 
This  is  in  memory  of  those  awful  hours  during  which 
Jesus  Christ  hung  on  the  cross  and  bore,  in  silence,  the 
scoffs  and  blasphemies  of  the  Jewish  multitude.     But 
at  the  Pater  Noster  the  priest  raises  his  voice;  this  is  to 
remind  the  faithful  of  the  last  seven  words  which  our 
Saviour  spoke  in  a  loud  voice  when  hanging  on  the 
cross.     After  the  Pater  Noster,  the-  priest  breaks  the 
host,  signifying  thereby  the  death  of  Christ,  or  the 
separation  of  our  Lord's  soul  from  His  body ;  at  the 
same  time  he  drops  a  small  particle  of  the  host  into  the 
chalice,  to  signify  that  our  Lord's  soul  descended  into 
Limbo,  to  announce  to  the  Patriarchs  their  redemption. 
At  the  communion  of  the  priests,  or  the  third  part  of 
the  Mass,  the  bell  is  rung  again  in  order  that  the  faith- 
ful may  be  reminded  also  to  receive  communion,  at 
least  spiritually.     The  act  of  communion  represents  the 
burial  of  Christ,     At  this  moment  we  should  offer  our 
hearts  as  a  Sepulchre  to  our  Lord ;  that  is  to  say,  we 
should  resolve  to  close  them  against  the  world,  and  to 


284  ON  THE  CEREMONIES  OF  MASS. 

keep  them  pure  and  incorrupt,  that  they  may  be  the  rest- 
ing-place of  Him  Who  died  for  love  of  us.    After  com 
munion  the  priest  says  some  prayers  in  thanksgiving, 
after  which  he  turns  and  says, "« jfo  Missa  est."     Thi* 
means  that  the  Mass  is  ended;  accordingly  immediatelv 
afterwards  he  dismisses  the  people  with  his  benediction 
by  making  over  them  the  sign  of  the  cross,  to  remind 
them  once  more  that  every  blessing  comes  from  the 
death  of  Christ,     Then  the  Gospel  of  St.  John  is  read, 
at  the  end  of  which  the  Server  says,  "Deo  Gratias/ 
Thanks  be  to  God  for  His  great  mercy  in  having  per- 
mitred  us  to  assist  at  so  precious  and  so  holy  a  sacrifice. 
Thus  the  ceremonies  of  Mass  evince  the  deep  wisdom 
of  our  holy  Mother,  the  Church,  and  if  one  has  but  a 
little  good  will,  they  will  be  a  powerful  means  of  lead- 
ing the  mind  on  to  the  great  and  inestimable  mysteries 
which  the  Holy  Sacrifice  contains.     When  our  Saviour 
was  crucified  on  Mount  Calvary,  the  sun  was  darkened 
the  rocks  were  rent,  and  the  whole  earth  quaked;  the 
-Roman  centurion,  seeing  the  things  that  were  done' was 
greatly  afraid  and  said,  "Indeed  this  was  the  Son  of 
God."     So   the   mystical  renewal  of  the  sufferings  of 
Christ  which  is  made  at  Mass,  continually  excites  emo- 
tions of  faith  and  love  in  those  who  assist  at  it  with 
sincere  hearts.    Truly,  Mass  is  the  most  powerful  means 
to  foster  faith  and  fervor.     For  this  reason  the  devil 
persuaded  Luther  to  attack  this  holy  sacrifice,  as  the 
most  infallible  means  of  preparing  the  high  road  to 
Protestantism,  that  is  to  say,  a  general  apostasy  from 
Christianity.     As  soon  as  God  would  permit  the  Mass 


ON  THE  CEREMONIES  OE  MASS.  285 

to  be  abolished,  the  gates  of  hell  would  exert  a  fearful 
power  against  the  Church,  and  even  threaten  destruc- 
tion to  the  Christian  religion.  Nevertheless,  it  is  pos- 
sible to  remain  indevout  and  cold,  even  with  so  great  a 
means  of  grace  at  our  command.  In  the  very  temple 
of  God,  our  Lord  found  those  that  sold  oxen,  sheep,  and 
doves,  and  the  changers  of  money  sitting. 

St.  Chrysostom  says  of  some  Christians  in  his  days, 
that  they  committed  greater  sins  by  their  irreverence  in 
Church  than  they  would  have  done  by  remaining  away 
altogether.  It  was  on  account  of  sacrileges  perpetrated 
in  Church  that  the  Kingdom  of  Cyprus  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  Turks.  But  I  need  not  go  to  history  for 
instances  of  irreverence ;  modern  times  furnish,  alas ! 
too  many,  which  prove  how  easy  it  is  for  one  whose 
heart  has  grown  hard  and  cold  to  treat  the  most  holy 
things  with  disrespect.  Be,  then,  always  on  your  guard 
against  the  spirit  of  unbelief.  The  love  of  the  world 
soon  deadens  our  appreciation  of  spiritual  things. 
Strive  to  cherish  a  tenderness  of  heart  for  the  greatest 
and  most  lovely  mystery  of  our  holy  religion.  When 
you  go  to  Mass,  say  with  St.  Francis :  "  Now,  ye  worldly 
affairs  and  thoughts  of  business,  leave  me  and  remain 
outside,  while  I  go  into  the  Sanctuary  of  the  Most  High 
to  speak  to  the  great  Lord  of  Heaven  and  earth."  Be 
reverent  whilst  you  are  assisting  at  Mass,  and  when  it 
is  over,  leave  the  Church  with  such  sentiments  of  hu- 
mility and  piety  as  if  coming  from  the  awful  scene  of 
the  death  of  Jesus  Christ  on  Mount  Calvary.  In  fine, 
go  forth  to  your  duties  with  the  same  resolution  with 


286 


ON  THE  CEREMONIES  OF  MASS. 


which  you  would  have  gone  had  you  stood  with  Mary 
and  St.  John  beneath  your  Saviour's  Cross,  namely  j  to 
merit  Heaven  by  fulfilling  the  obligations  of  your  state 
of  life;  and  by  bearing  with  patience  all  sufferings, 
trials,  hardships,  and  injuries  for  the  love  of  Jesus 
Christ,  Who  loved  us  to  such  an  excess,  and  Whom 
we  shall  never  be  able  to  thank  sufficiently,  nor  repay 
His  ever-burning  love. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

AN  EXHORTATION  TO  HEAR  MASS  DEVOUTLY. 

LL  good  works  together,"  says  the  saintly 
Cure  of  Ars,  "  are  not  of  equal  value  with  the 
sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  because  they  are  the 
works  of  men,  and  the  Holy  Mass  is  the  work 
of  God."  Martyrdom  is  nothing  in  comparison ;  it  is 
the  sacrifice  that  man  makes  of  his  life  to  God;  the 
Mass  is  the  sacrifice  that  God  makes  of  His  Body  and 
of  His  Blood  for  man.  Yet,  how  little  is  this  most 
august  sacrifice  valued  by  most  men !  If  some  one 
were  to  say  to  us,  "  at  such  a  place  and  at  such  an  hour, 
a  dead  person  will  be  raised  to  life,"  we  should  run 
very  fast  to  see  it.  But  is  not  the  consecration  which 
changes  bread  and  wine  into  the  Body  and  Blood  of 
God  a  much  greater  miracle  than  the  raising  of  a  dead 
person  to  life?  Ah!  if  Christians  knew  better  the 
value  of  the  holy  sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  or  rather,  if 
they  had  more  faith,  they  would  be  much  more  zealous 
to  assist  at  it  with  reverence  and  devotion. 

To  increase  your  zeal  and  fervor  in  hearing  Holy 
Mass  with  greater  devotion,  let  me  relate  a  marvellous 
vision  in  which  St.  Gertrude  saw  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 

287 


288 


A  N  EXHOR  TA  TION 


celebrate  Mass  in  a  mystical  manner:   On  "Gaudete'- 
Sunday,  as  Gertrude  prepared  to  communicate  at  the 
first  Mass,  which  commences  "Borate,"  she  complained 
to  our  Lord  that  she  could  not  hear  Mass;   but  our 
Lord,  who  compassionates  the  afflicted,  consoled  her, 
saying:  "Do  you  wish,  My  beloved,  that  I  should  say 
Mass  for  you?"     Then,  being  suddenly  rapt  in  spirit, 
she  replied:  "I  do  desire  it,  O  beloved  of  my  soul; 
and    I   most  ardently  beseech  Thee  to  grant  me  this 
favor."      Our   Lord    then   intoned    the    "  Gaudete   in 
Domino  semper"  with  a  choir  of  saints,  to  incite  this 
soul  to  praise  and  rejoice  in  Him  ;  and  as  He  sat  on 
His  royal  throne,  St.  Gertrude  cast  herself  at  His  feet 
and  embraced   them      Then   he   chanted   the   "  Kyrie 
eleison"  in  a  clear  and   loud  voice,  while  two  of  the 
princes   of  the  choir  of  thrones   took    her   soul   and 
brought  it  before  Gocl  the  Father,  where  she  remained 
prostrate. 

^  At  the  first  Kyrie  eleison,  He  granted  her  the  remis- 
sion of  all  the  sins  which  she  had  contracted  through 
human  frailty;  after  which,  the. Angels  raised  her  up 
on  her  knees.  At  the  second,  He  pardoned  her  sins  of 
ignorance;  and  she  was  raised  up  by  these  princes,  so 
that  she  stood  before  God.  Then  two  Angels  of  the 
choir  of  Cherubim  led  her  to  the  Son  of  God,  who 
received  her  with  great  tenderness.  At  the  first  Christe 
eleison,  the  saint  offered  our  Lord  all  the  sweetness  of 
human  affection,  returning  it  to  Him  as  to  its  Source; 
and  there  was  a  wonderful  influx  of  God  into  her  soul,' 
and  of  her  soul  into  God,  so  that,  by  the  descending 


TO  HEAR  'MASS  DEVOUTLY.  289 

notes,  the  ineffable  delights  of  the  Divine  Heart  flowed 
into  her,  and  by  the  ascending  notes,  the  jovs  of  lie.-- 
soul  flowed  back  to  God.  At  the  second  divide  eleiscm, 
she  experienced  the  most  ineffable  del'ghts,  which  she 
offered  to  our  Lord.  At  the  third  Christe  eleison,  the 
Son  of  God  extended  His  hands  and  bestowed  on  her 
all  the  fruit  of  His  most  holy  life  and  conversation. 

Two  Angels  of  the  choir  of  Seraphim  then  pre  sn  ted 
her  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  Who  penetrated  the  three  powers 
of  her  soul.  At  the  first  Kyrie  eleison,  He  illuminated 
her  reason  with  the  glorious  light  of  divine  knowledge, 
that  she  might  always  know  His  will  perfectly.  At 
the  second  Kyrie  eleison.  He  strengthened  the  irascible 
part  of  her  soul  to  resist  all  the  machinations  of  her 
enemies,  and  to  conquer  every  evil.  At  the  last  Kyrie 
eleison,  He  inflamed  her  love,  that  she  might  love  God 
with  her  whole  heart,  with  her  whole  soul,  and  with 
her  whole  strength.  It  was  for  this  reason  that  the 
choir  of  Seraphim,  which  is  the  highest  order  in  the 
heavenly  hosts,  presented  her  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  Who 
is  the  Third  Person  of  the  Most  Holy  Trinity,  and  that 
the  Thrones  presented  her  to  God  the  Father,  mani- 
festing that  the  Father,  Son,  and  IJoly  Ghost  are  one 
God,  equal  in  glory,  co-eternal  in  majesty,  living  and 
reigning  perfect  Trinity  ihrough  endless  ages. 

The  Son  of  God  then  rose  from  His  royal  throne, 
and,  turning  towards  God  the  Father,  en  toned  the 
Gloria  in  excelsis,  in  a  clear  and  sonorous  voice.  At 
the  word  gloria,  He  extolled  the  immense  and  incom- 
prehensible omnipotence  of  God  the  Father;  at  the 
25  T 


290  AN  EXIIOR TA  TION 

words  in  excelsis,  He  praised  His  profound  wisdom ;  at 
Deo,  He  honored  the  inestimable  and  indescribable 
sweetness  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  whole  celestial 
court  then  continued  in  a  most  harmonious  voice,  Et  in 
terra  pax  hominibus  bonai  voluntatis.  Our  Lord  being 
again  seated  on  His  throne,  St.  Gertrude  sat  at  His  feet, 
meditating  on  her  own  abjection,  when  He  inclined 
towards  her  lovingly ;  then  she  rose  and  stood  before 
Him,  while  the  Divine  splendor  illuminated  her  whole 
being.  Two  angels  from  the  Choir  of  Thrones  then 
brought  a  throne  magnificently  adorned,  which  they 
placed  before  our  Lord;  two  princes  from  the  Choir  of 
Seraphim  placed  Gertrude  thereon,  and  supported  her 
on  each  side,  while  two  of  the  Choir  of  Cherubim  stood 
before  her,  bearing  brilliant  torches ;  and  thus  she  re- 
mained before  her  Beloved,  clothed  in  royal  purple. 
When  the  heavenly  hosts  came  to  the  words  Domine 
Dens  Rex  Cwlestis,  they  paused,  and  the  Son  of  God 
continued  alone  chanting  to  the  honor  and  glory  of  His 
Father. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  Gloria  in  excelsis,  the  Lord 
Jesus,  Who  is  our  true  High  Priest  and  Pontiff,  turned 
to  St.  Gertrude,  saying,  Dominus  Vobiscurn,  dilecta  — 
"The  Lord  be  with  you,  beloved;"  and  she  replied, 
"Et  spiritus  mens  tecum,  prwdilecte  —  "And  may  my 
spirit  be  with  Thee,  O  my  Beloved."  After  this  she 
inclined  towards  the  Lord  to  return  Him  thanks  for 
His  love  in  uniting  Her  spirit  to  His  Divinity,  Whose 
delights  are  with  the  children  of  men  The  Lord  then 
read  the  Collect,  Deus,  qui  hanc  sacratissimam  noctem, 


TO  HEAR  MASS  DEVOUTLY.  291 

which  He  concluded  with  the  words,  Per  Jesum  Chris- 
tum jihim  tuum,  as  if  giving  thanks  to  God  the  Father, 
for  illuiainating  the  soul  of  Gertrude,  whose  unworthi- 
ness  was  indicated  by  the  word  noctem  (night)  which 
was  callid  most  holy,  because  she  had  become  marvel- 
lously eunobled  by  the  knowledge  of  her  own  baseness. 

St.  John,  the  Evangelist,  then  rose  and  stood  between 
God  and  her  soul.  He  was  adorned  with  a  yellow  gar- 
ment, which  was  covered  with  golden  eagles.  He  com- 
menced the  Epistle  Hcec  est  sponsa,  and  the  celestial 
court  concluded,  Ipsi  gloria  in  scecula.  Then  all  chanted 
the  gradual  Specie  tua,  adding  the  Versicle  Audi  filia  et 
vide.  After  this  they  commenced  the  Alleluia.  St.  Paul, 
the  great  Doctor  of  the  Church,  pointed  to  St.  Gertrude, 
saying,  Mmulor  enim  vos — "  For  I  am  jealous  of  you ; " 1 
and  the  heavenly  choir  sang  the  prose,  Filial  Sion  exul- 
tent.  At  the  words  Dum  non  consentiret,  St.  Gertrude 
remembered  that  she  had  been  a  little  negligent  in  re- 
sisting temptations,  and  she  hid  her  face  in  shame  j  but 
our  Lord,  Who  could  not  bear  to  behold  the  confusion 
of  His  chaste  queen,  covered  her  negligence  with  a  col- 
lar of  gold,  so  that  she  appeared  as  if  she  had  gained  a 
glorious  victory  over  all  her  enemies. 

Then  another  Evangelist  commenced  the  Gospel 
Exultavit  Dominus  Jesus,  and  these  words  moved  the 
Heart  of  Jesus  so  deeply  that  He  arose,  and,  extending 
His  hands,  exclaimed  aloud,  Confiteor  tibi  Pater,  mani- 
festing the  same  thanksgiving  and  gratitude  to  His 
Father  as  He  had  done  when  He  said  the  same  words 

1  2  Cor.  xi.  2. 


292 


AN  EXHORTATION 


on  earth,  giving  special  thanks  for  the  graces  bestowed 
on  this  soul.  After  the  Gospel  He  desired  Gertrude  to 
make  a  public  profession  of  faith,  by  reciting  the  Creed 
in  the  name  of  the  whole  Church.  When  she  had  con 
eluded,  the  choir  chanted  the  offertory,  Domine  Deus  in 
simplicitate,  adding,  Sanctificavit  Moyses.  The  Heart  of 
Jesus  then  appeared  as  a  golden  altar,  which  shone  with 
a  marvellous  brightness,  on  which  the  angel  guardians 
offered  the  good  works  and  prayers  of  those  committed 
to  their  care.  The  Saints  then  approached,  and  each 
offered  his  merits  to  the  eternal  praise  of  God,  and  for 
the  salvation  of  St.  Gertrude.  The  angelic  princes, 
who'  had  charge  of  the  Saint,  next  approached  and 
offered  a  chalice  of  gold,  which  contained  all  the  trials 
and  afflictions  which  she  had  endured,  either  in  body 
or  soul,  from  her  infancy;  and  the  Lord  blessed  the 
chalice  with  the  sign  of  the  cross,  as  the  priest  blesses 
it  before  Consecration. 

He  now  intoned  the  words  Sursum  corda.  Then  all 
the  Saints  were  summoned  to  come  forward,  and  they 
applied  their  hearts  in  the  form  of  golden  pipes,  to  the 
golden  altar  of  the  Divine  Heart ;  and  from  the  over- 
flowings of  this  chalice,  which  our  Lord  had  conse- 
crated by  His  benediction,  they  received  some  droj>s 
for  the  increase  of  their  merit,  glory,  and  eternal  beati- 
tude. 

The  Son  of  God  then  chanted  the  Gratias  agamus  to 
the^glory  and  honor  of  His  Eternal  Father.  At  the 
Preface,  He  remained  silent  for  an  hour  after  the  words 
Per  Jesum  Christum,  while  the  heavenly  hosts  chanted 


TO  HEAR  MASS  DEVOUTLY.  293 

the  Dominum  nostrum  with  ineffable  jubilation,  de- 
claiing  that  He  was  their  Creator,  Redeemer,  and  the 
liberal  Re  warder  of  all  their  good  works,  and  that  He 
alone  was  worthy  of  honor  and  glory,  praise  and  exal- 
tation, power  and  dominion,  from  and  over  all  creatures. 
At  the  words  laudant  angeli,  all  the  angelic  spirits  ran 
hither  and  thither,  exciting  the  heavenly  inhabitants  to 
sing  the  Divine  praises.  At  the  words  Adorant  Domi- 
natlones,  the  Choir  of  Dominations  knelt  to  adore  our 
Lord,  declaring  that  to  Him  alone  every  knee  should 
bow,  whether  in  Heaven,  on  earth,  or  under  the  earth. 
At  the  Tremunt  Potestates,  the  Powers  prostrated  be- 
fore Him  to  declare  that  He  alone  should  be  adored ; 
and  at  the  Coeli  cwlorumque,  they  praised  God  with  all 
the  angel  choirs. 

Then  all  the  heavenly  hosts  sang  together  in  harmo- 
nious concert  the  Cum  quibus  et  nostras ;  and  the  Vir- 
gin Mary,  the  effulgent  Rose  of  Heaven,  who  is  blessed 
above  all  creatures,  chanted  the  Sanctus,  sanctus,  sanc- 
tus, extolling  with  the  highest  gratitude  by  these  three 
words  the  incomprehensible  omnipotence,  the  inscru- 
table wisdom,  and  the  ineffable  goodness  of  the  Ever 
Blessed  Trinity,  inciting  all  the  celestial  choirs  to  praise 
God  for  having  made  her  most  powerful  after  the 
Father,  most  wise  after  the  Son,  and  most  benign  after 
the  Holy  Ghost.  The  Saints  then  continued  the  Domine 
Deus  Sabaoth.  When  this  was  ended,  Gertrude  saw 
our  Lord  rise  from  His  royal  throne  and  present  His 
blessed  Heart  to  His  Father,  elevating  it  with  His  own 

hands,  and  immolating  it  in  an  ineffable  manner  for  the 

25* 


294 


AN  EXHORTATION 


whole  Church.  At  this  moment  the  bell  rang  for  the 
Elevation  of  the  Host  in  the  Church ;  so  that  it  ap- 
peared as  if  our  Lord  did  in  heaven  what  the  priests 
did  on  earth;  but  the  Saint  was  entirely  ignorant  of 
what  was  passing  in  the  Church,  or  what  the  time  was. 
As  she  continued  in  amazement  at  so  many  marvels 
our  Lord  told  her  to  recite  the  Pater  noster.  When  she 
had  finished  He  accepted  it  from  her,  and  granted  to 
all  the  Saints  and  Angels,  for  her  sake,  that  by  this 
Pater  noster  they  should  accomplish  everything  which 
had  ever  been  accomplished  fur  the  salvation  of  the 
Church  and  for  the  souls  in  purgatory.  Then  He  sug- 
gested her  to  pray  for  the  Church,  which  she  did,  for 
all  in  general,  and  for  each  in  particular,  with  the  great- 
est fervor ;  and  the  Lord  united  her  prayer  to  those 
which  He  had  offered  Himself  when  in  the  flesh,  to  be 
applied  to  the  Universal  Church. 

Then  she  exclaimed:  "But,  Lord,  when  shall  I 
communicate?"  And  our  Lord  communicated  Him- 
self to  her  with  a  love  and  tenderness  which  no  human 
tongue  could  describe,  so  that  she  received  the  perfect 
fruit  of  His  most  precious  Body  and  Blood.  After  this 
He  sang  a  canticle  of  love  for  her,  and  declared  to  her, 
that  had  this  union  of  Himself  with  her  been  the  sole 
fruit  of  His  labors,  sorrows  and  Passion,  He  would 
have  been  fully  satisfied..  Oh,  inestimable  sweetness  of 
the  Divine  condescension,  Who  so  delights  in  human 
hearts  that  He  considers  His  union  with  them  a  suf- 
ficient return  for  all  the  bitterness  of  His  Passion !  and 
yet,  what  should  we  not  owe  Him  had  He  only  shed 
one  drop  of  His  precious  Blood  for  us  ! 


TO  HEAR  M ASS  DEVOUTLY.  295 

Our  Lord  then  chanted  Qaudete  justi,  and  all  the 
Saints  rejoiced  with  Gertrude.  Then  our  Lord  said,  in 
the  name  of  the  Church  Militant,  Befecti  cibo,  etc. ;  He 
then  saluted  all  the  Saints  lovingly,  saying,  Dominus 
vobiseum,  and  thereby  increased  the  glory  and  joy  of 
all  the  blessed.  The  Saints  and  Angels  then  sang,  for 
the  Ite  Missa  est,  Te  decet  laus  et  honor  Domine,  to  the 
glory  and  praise  of  the  effulgent  and  ever  peaceful 
Trinity.  The  Son  of  God  extended  His  royal  hand 
and  blessed  the  Saint,  saying  :  "  I  bless  thee,  O  daughter 
of  eternal  light,  with  this  special  blessing,  granting  you 
this  favor,  that  whenever  you  desire  to  do  good  to  any 
one  from  particular  affection,  they  will  be  as  much  bene- 
fited above  others  as  Jacob  was  above  Esau  when  he 
received  his  father's  blessing." 

My  dear  reader,  were  our  Lord  to  favor  you  but  once 
with  such  a  vision,  how  great  would  not  be  your  devo- 
tion in  hearing  Mass!  Ah!  dear  reader,  our  vision 
must  be  our  faith;  faith  is  the  best  of  all  visions,  be- 
cause it  is  not  subject  to  any  illusion.  In  the  light  of 
a  lively  faith  you  will  see  in  every  Mass  all  these  mar- 
vels of  Divine  Omnipotence,  Wisdom  and  Goodness, 
which  St.  Gertrude  saw.  This  faith  teaches  us  to  do 
what  St.  James,  the  Apostle,  says  in  his  Mass  :  "  When 
the  moment  of  Consecration  is  arriving,  every  one 
should  be  silent,  and  trembling  with  reverential  awe; 
he  should  forget  everything  earthly,  remembering  that 
the  King  of  Kings  and  the  Lord  of  Lords  is  coming 
down  upon  the  altar  as  a  victim  to  be  offered  to  GDa 
the  Father,  and  as  food  to  be  given  to  the  faithful ;  He 


296  A  N  EXHOR  TA  TION 

is  preceded  by  the  Angelic  choirs,  in  full  splendor,  with 
their  faces  veiled,  singing  hymns  of  praise  with  great 
joy."  Of  these  hymns  of  praise  St.  Bridget  writes  thus : 
"  One  day,  when  a  priest  was  celebrating  Mass,  I  saw, 
at  the  moment  of  Consecration,  how  all  the  powers  of 
heaven  were  set  in  motion.  I  heard,  at  the  same  time, 
a  heavenly  music,  most  harmonious,  most  sweet.  Num- 
berless Angels  came  down,  the  chant  of  whom  no  human 
understanding  can  conceive,  nor  the  tongue  of  man  de- 
scribe. They  surrounded  and  looked  upon  the  priest, 
bowing  towards  him  in  reverential^  awe.  The  devils 
commenced  to  tremble,  and  took  to  flight  in  the  greatest 
confusion  and  terror/'1 

All  this  is  in  accordance  with  what  other  great  Saints 
have  seen  or  said  on  this  subject.  St.  John  Chrysostom 
says  that  whole  choirs  of  Angels  are  surrounding  the 
altar  whilst  Jesus  Christ  is  as  a  victim  upon  it.  St. 
Euthymius,  when  saying  Mass,  would  often  see  many 
Angels  assisting  at  the  Sacred  Mysteries  in  reverential 
awe.  At  other  times  he  would  see  an  immense  fire  and' 
light  coming  down  from  heaven  and  enveloping  him 
and  his  assistant  to  the  end  of  the  holy  sacrifice.2  In 
the  same  manner  the  Holy  Ghost  would,  in  the  form  of 
a  fiery  flame,  surround  St.  Anastasius  whilst  celebrating 
Mass.3  St.  Guduvalus,  Archbishop,  who  would  always 
prepare  himself  for  the  celebration  of  this  most  august 
sacrifice,  by  fasting,  night  watches,  and  many  fervent 
prayers,  often  saw  how  the  Angels  descended  from 
heaven  during  Mass,  chanting  hymns   of  praise  with 

•  Lib.  8,  c.  56.  2  j^  by  Cyrillus.  3  Life  by  St.  Basil. 


TO  HEAR  MASS  DEVOUTLY.  297 

unspeakably  great  reverence;  but  he  himself  would  be 
standing  at  the  altar  like  a  majestic  column  of  fiery 
flame  whilst  he  was  celebrating  the  holy  sacrifice.  Se- 
verus  relates  of  St.  Martin,  that  when  he  was  saying 
Mass,  a  fiery  globe  would  be  seen  above  his  head.  Who 
shall  not  wonder  at  this  behavior  of  the  Angels  during 
Mass,  and  at  the  great  preparations  which  the  celestial 
spirits  make  when  Mass  is  being  celebrated,  in  order 
that  this  most  august  mystery  may  be  performed  with 
the  greatest  pomp  and  dignity  possible.  But  we, 
tv retched  men  as  we  are,  see,  for  want  of  faith,  but 
little  of  the  supernatural  that  is  going  on  during  Mass. 
Were  our  Lord  to  show  us  what  He  deigned  St.  Bridget 
and  other  Saints  to  see,  what  great  marvels  should  we 
not  witness?  We  should  see  how  the  whole  of  the 
heavenly  host  would  be  occupied  in  making  most  suit- 
able preparations  for  renewing,  in  a  mystical  manner, 
the  life,  sufferings  and  death  of  Jesus  Christ.  We 
should  see,  to  our  greatest  surprise  and  astonishment, 
how  a  heavenly  sun,  moon  and  stars  would  shine  upon 
this  mystery  during  its  celebration,  and  how  the  Angelic 
choirs  would  glorify  it  by  their  music  most  sweet,  and 
their  singing  most  enrapturing.  We  would  see,  more- 
over, how  true  it  is  what  our  Lord  once  said  to  St. 
Mechtildis.1  "  At  the  moment  of  Consecration,"  said 
He,  "  I  come  down  first  in  such  deep  humility,  that 
there  is  no  one  at  Mass,  no  matter  how  despicable  and 
vile  he  may  be,  towards  whom  I  do  not  humbly  incline 
ind  approach,  if  he  desires  Me  to  do  so  and  prayo  for 

1  Lib.  3.  Revel,  c.  28. 


298  AN  EXHOR  TA  TION 

it;  secondly,  I  come  down  with  such  great  patience 
that  I  suffer  even  my  greatest  enemies  to  be  present 
and  grant  them  the  full  pardon  of  all  their  sins,  if  they 
wish  to  be  reconciled  with  Me;  thirdly,  I  come  with 
such  immense  love  that  no  one  of  those  present  can  be 
so  hardened  that  I  do  not  soften  his  heart  and  enkindle 
it  with  My  love  if  he  wishes  Me  to  do  so ;  fourthly,  I 
come  with  such  inconceivable  liberality,  that  none  of 
those  present  can  be  so  poor  that  I  would  not  enrich 
him  abundantly  ;  fifthly,  I  come  with  such  sweet  food 
that  no  one  ever  so  hungry  should  not  be  refreshed  and 
fully  satiated  by  Me.  Sixthly,  I  come  with  such  great 
light  and  splendor  that  no  heart,  how  blinded  soever 
it  may  be,  will  not  be  enlightened  and  purified  by  My 
presence.  Seventhly,  I  come  with  such  great  sanctity 
and  treasures  of  grace,  that  no  one,  however  inert  and 
indevout  he  may  be,  should  not  be  roused  from  this 
state."  Who  should  not  exclaim,  with  St.  Francis  of 
Assisium,  "  Oh,  wonderful  greatness  !  Oh,  most  hum- 
ble condescension  !  that  the  well  beloved  Son  of  God 
should  conceal  Himself  for  man's  sake,  under  the  small 
species  of  bread  !  Let  entire  man,  the  whole  world 
and  the  heavens  tremble  at  such  a  spectacle !  "  Not 
seeing  these  wonders  with  our  eyes,  we  are  accustomed 
not  to  appreciate  them,  and  to  assist  at  Mass  with  levity 
and  indevotion.  But  the  Angels  see  them  and  tremble. 
The  devils  see  them  and  take  to  flight;  we  see  them 
not,  but  believe  them,  and  though  faith  is  the  best 
sight,  yet  we  are  present  almost  like  marble  blocks, 
looking  at  everyone  who  comes  in  or  goes  out;  the 


TO  HE  A  R  MASS  BE  VO  UTL  Y.  299 

least  noise  disturbs  us  and  makes  us  forget  our  Lord. 
We  truly  deserve  the  reproach  which  Jesus  Christ  made 
to  St.  Peter,  when  He  said,  "  O  ye  of  little  faith."  No- 
where do  these  words  come  more  true  than  when  we 
are  at  Mass !  how  much  is  this,  our  little  faith,  con- 
founded by  the  fervor  and  devotion  of  so  many  Chris- 
tian Dukes  and  Monarchs. 

Fornerus,  formerly  Bishop  of  Bamberg,  relates1  of  the 
great  Duke  Simon  Montfort,  as  follows :  "  This  famous 
Duke  was  accustomed  to  hear  Mass  daily  with  great 
devotion,  and  at  the  elevation  of  the  Sacred  Host  he 
would  say  with  Simeon:  'Now  Thou  dost  dismiss  Thy 
servant,  O  Lord,  according  to  Thy  word  in  peace,  be- 
cause my  eyes  have  seen  Thy  salvation.' 3  His  regular 
attendance  at  Mass  was  known  to  the  Albigenses,  his 
bitterest  enemies,  against  whom  he  had  been  waging 
war  for  twenty  years.  The  Albigenses,  being  driven 
to  despair,  determined  to  make  a  sadden  attack  upon 
the  Duke's  army  in  the  morning  whilst  he  was  at  Mass. 
They  executed  their  design,  and  really  surprised  his 
soldiers.  Officers  came  to  him  whilst  he  was  hearing 
Mass,  announcing  to  him  the  great  danger  in  which 
the  whole  army  wras,  and  begging  him  to  come  to  their 
aid.  The  Duke  answered,  '  Let  me  serve  the  Lord 
now,  and  men  afterwards/  No  sooner  were  these 
officers  gone  than  others  arrived  making  the  same  most 
earnest  request.  The  Duke  replied,  '  I  shall  not  leave 
this  place  until  I  have  seen  and  adored  my  God  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ/     Meanwhile,  he   recommended 

'   Miser,  cone.  78.  ■  Luke  ii.  29,  30. 


300 


AN  EXHORTATION 


his  whole  army  to  our  Lord,  beseeching  Him  by  the 
most  august  sacrifice  of  the  Mass  to  assist  his  people. 
At  the  elevation  of  the  Sacred  Host,  he  poured  out  his 
heart  in  humble  prayer  to  his  Saviour,  offering  up  the 
Heavenly  Father  the  Body  and   Blood  of  His  well 
beloved  Son,  and  making,  at  the  same  time,  an  oblation 
of  his  own  life  in  honor  of  the  Blessed  Trinity.     At  the 
elevation  of  the  chalice  he  prayed,  'Now  Thou  dost 
dismiss  Thy  servant,  O  Lord,  according  to  Thy  word 
in  peace,  because  my  eyes  have  seen   Thy  salvation/ 
Then  feeling  inspired  with  great  courage  and  confidence 
in  the  Lord,  he  said  to  his  officers,  'Now  let  us  go,  and 
if  God  pleases,  die  for  Him  Who  has  deigned  to  die 
for  us  on  the  Cross.'     His  whole  army  consisted  of  but 
sixteen  thousand  men.     With  this   little  force  he  at- 
tacked, in  the  name  of  the  Blessed  Trinity,  the  grand 
army  of  the  Albigenses,  commanded  by  the  Count  of 
Toulouse,  who  was  supported   by  the  army  of  Peter, 
King  of  Aragonia,  his  brother-in-law.     Now,  of  this 
grand  army  Simon  Montfort,  the  christian  hero,  killed 
twenty  thousand  men  on  the  spot,  and  the  rest  of  his 
enemies  he  put  to  shameful  flight.     Every  one  said  and 
.believed  that  Montfort  had  gained  this  glorious  victory 
more    by  his   fervent   prayers   at   Mass   than   by  the 
strength  of  his  army. 

Ah  !  how  many  and  how  great  would  be  the  victories 
which  we  should  gain  over  the  devil,  the  world,  and 
the  flesh,  were  we  always  to  hear  Mass  with  as  much 
faith,  fervor  and  devotion  as  this  Duke  did!  How 
great  would    be  our  humility  to  bear  contempt  and 


TO  HEAR  31  ASS  DEVOUTLY.  301 

contradictions  with  a  tranquil  heart;  how  great  our 
patience  to  carry  the  crosses  and  trials  of  this  life  until 
death ;  how  great  our  confidence  in  the  Lord  under  the 
most  trying  circumstances ;  how  great  our  charity  for 
our  neighbor ;  how  great  the  light  of  our  understanding 
in  religious  matters,  and  the  devotion  of  our  hearts  to 
relish  the  same,  if  we  profited  well  by  the  gift  of  God 
in  the  holy  Mass !  What  the  holy  Patriarch,  Jacob, 
said  after  hi3  wrestling  with  the  Angel  of  the  Lord,  we 
too  might  say,  but  with  more  truth  than  he  did:  "I 
have  seen  God  face  to  face,  and  my  soul  has  been 
saved."1  For  "as  often  as  one  hears  Mass,"  said  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  St.  Gertrude,  "and  looks  with 
devotion  upon  Me  in  the  Sacred  Host,  or  has  at  least 
the  desire  of  doing  so,  so  many  times  he  increases  his 
merits  and  glory  in  heaven,  and  so  many  particular 
blessings  and  favors  and  delights  shall  he  receive.2 
Yes,  my  dear  reader,  for  your  and  for  my  sake  the 
heavenly  Father  sends  his  well  beloved  Son  upon  the 
altar;  for  your  and  my  salvation  the  Holy  Ghost 
changes  bread  and  wine  into  the  Body  and  Blood  of 
Jesus  Christ;  for  your  and  my  sake  the  son  of  God 
comes  from  heaven  and  conceals  himself  under  the 
species  of  bread  and  wine,  humbling  Himself  so  much 
as  to  be  whole  and  entire  in  the  smallest  particle  of  the 
Host;  for  your  and  my  sake  Ho  renews  the  mystery  of 
Hk5  incarnation,  is  born  anew  in  a  mystical  mannei  ; 
for  your  and  my  sake  He  offers  up  to  His  heavenly 
Father  all  the  prayers  and  devoiions  which  He  per 

1  Gen.  xxxii.  30.  »  Lib.  4,  "Vtevel.  c.  25. 

26 


302  AN  EX  110 R TA  TION 

formed  during  His  life  on  earth ;  for  your  and  my  sake 
He  renews  His  Passion  and  Death  to  make  us  partake 
of  its  merits,  cancelling  your  and  my  sins  and  neg- 
ligences, and  remitting  many  temporal  punishments 
due  to  the  same.  One  Mass  which  you  have  heard 
will  do  you  more  good  than  many  which  are  said  for 
you  after  your  death.  As  many  Masses  you  have 
heard,  so  many  consolations  you  will  experience  in  the 
hour  of  your  death,  and  so  many  advocates  you  will 
have  before  the  tribunal  of  God  to  defend  and  plead 
for  you.  You  can  do  nothing  better  for  your  parents, 
friends,  for  the  poor  and  distressed,  for  your  benefactors, 
for  the  dying,  for  the  conversion  of  sinners,  for  the  just, 
for  the  souls  in  purgatory,  than  to  hear  and  offer  up 
for  them  the  holy  sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  nor  can  you 
give  greater  glory  and  joy  to  the  Blessed  Trinity,  to 
the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  all  the  Saints,  than  by  assisting 
at  Mass  with  devotion.  Mass  is  the  most  powerful 
means  to  be  preserved  from  temporal  and  spiritual 
harm,  to  obtain  every  gift  from  the  Lord,  both  for  this 
life  and  for  that  to  come.  In  a  word,  Mass  is,  as  St. 
Francis  de  Sales  says,  "the  centre  of  the  Christian 
religion,  the  heart  of  devotion,  and  the  soul  of  piety ; 
a  mystery  so  ineffable  as  to  comprise  within  itself  the 
abyss  of  Divine  charity ;  a  mystery  in  which  God  com- 
municates Himself  really  to  us,  and,  in  a  special 
manner,  replenishes  our  souls  with  spiritual  graces  and 
favors." '  Hence  I  can  truly  say  and  fairly  conclude 
that  there  is  no  hour  of  the  day  so  precious  as  that 

1  Derout  Life,  chap.  14. 


TO  HEAR  MASS  DEVOUTLY.  303 

which  you  devote  to  hearing  Mass.  It  is  tiuly  a  golden 
hour,  for  the  merit  you  gain  therein  is  more  precious 
than  pure  gold.  The  other  hours  of  the  day,  although 
they  are  necessary,  and  have  their  use  in  the  economy 
of  Nature,  in  comparison,  can  only  be  esteemed  as 
dross. 

But  you  may  say,  "  It  is  more  necessary  for  us  to 
labor  than  to  hear  Mass,  because,  without  work,  I  can- 
not earn  a  subsistence  for  myself  and  family."     I  say 
otherwise ;  it  is  even  more  necessary  to  hear  Mass  than 
to  labor,  because  it  is  a  most  powerful  means  to  keep 
yourself  in  a  state  of  grace,  and   difficult  for  you  to 
obtain  the  blessings  of  God  without  it.     I  do  not  say, 
neglect  your  work,  but  break  off  for  an  half-hour  and 
give  that  short  time  to  God,  and  you  will  find  your 
business  will  succeed  better,  as  it  will  have  God's  bless- 
ing upon  it.     If  you  neglect  to  hear  Ma^s,  either  for 
temporal  interest  or  from  slothfulness,  you  occasion  to 
yourself  a  loss,  in  comparison  with  which  no  worldly 
loss  is  to  be  compared;  for  you  lose  a  hundred-fold 
greater  gain  than  you  can  make  by  your  work  during 
the  whole  day.     This  you  may  judge  from  the  remark- 
able words  which  Christ  used  with  so  much  emphasis. 
''  What  does  it  profit  a  man  if  he  gain  the  whole  world 
and  lose  his  own  soul." *   Can  you  hesitate  for  a  trifling, 
worldly  profit,  to  refuse  to  listen  to  and  apply  U>  your- 
self the  trusty  admonition  of  Christ  Himself? 

1  Matthew  xvi.  26. 


CHAPTER    XVIII 


EXAMPLES  RELATING    TO   THE  HOLY  SACRI- 
FICE  OF  THE  MASS. 

T.  ISIDORE  was  hired  by  a  wealthy  farmer 
to  cultivate  his  farm.  He  would,  however, 
never  commence  to  work  in  the  morning  be- 
fore he  had  heard  Mass.  He  was  accused, 
by  some  of  his  fellow-laborers  to  his  master,  of  staying 
too  long  in  the  church,  and  of  being  always  too  late  at 
work.  His m  master,  to  convince  himself  of  the  truth 
of  the  accusation,  went  out  early  in  the  morning  to  see 
whether  Isidore  came  in  due  time  to  the  farm  ;  but  how 
great  was  his  astonishment  when  he  beheld  two  Angels, 
dressed  in  white,  ploughing  with  two  yoke  of  oxen,  and 
St.  Isidore  in  their  midst.  From  this  time  forward 
Isidore  was  held  in  great  veneration  by  the  wealthy 
farmer,  and  by  all  who  heard  of  the  fact. 

2.  The  following  event  was  related  to  me  by  one  of 
our  Fathers,  in  whose  native  country  it  took  place :  In 
the  year  1828  or  1829,  a  young  man  travelled  through 
Switzerland.  When  he  came  to  Zurich  he  fell  danger- 
ously ill.     Being  a  Catholic,  he  begged  the  hotel-keeper 

to  send  for  a  Catholic  priest.     "  I  will  send  for  one," 

804 


THE  HOLY  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  MASS 


305 


said  he.     Meanwhile,  he  agreed  with  two  other  guests 
of  his,  to  play  the  priest,  with  two  Servers.     Accord- 
ingly, he  went  to  the  young  man  and  heard  his  con- 
fession ;  after  which  he  received  from  him  some  money 
as  a  little  present,  with  the  request  that  he  should  say 
three  Holy  Masses.     After  this  criminal  action,  he  left 
the  young  man,  went  with  the  other  companions  into 
another  room,  saying  to  them:    "  Come,  let  us  go  and 
say  the  three  Masses/'  meaning  thereby  that  they  would 
drink  three  bottles  of  wine.     They  sat  down  at  table, 
and  having  emptied  one   bottle,  said :     "  Behold,  one 
Mass  already  said."    Having  emptied  the  second  bottle, 
they  cried  out  with  great  laughter :  "  Now,  two  Masses 
are"  said."     God   did  not  long  withhold  His  revenge. 
No  sooner  had  they  drunk  the  third  bottle  of  wine  than 
all  three  of  them  suddenly  died  — turning  as  black  as 
coal.     This  dreadful  event  became  known  amongst  the 
people.     The  civil  magistrate   interfered  ;  they  locked 
up  the  room,  leaving  therein  the  three  black  corpses  for 
the  space  of  twenty-six  days,  in  order  to  make  a  minute 
examination  of  the  case.     This  is  a  well-known  fact  in 
that  city,  and  in  the  neighboring  provinces. 

3.  St.  Anthony,  Archbishop  of  Florence,  relates 
that  two  young  men  went  hunting  on  a  holy-day  of 
obligation.  Only  one  of  them  took  care  to  hear  Mass 
previously.  Not  long  after  they  had  started,  a  fright- 
ful thunder-storm  came  on,  and  a  flash  of  lightning  in- 
stantly killed  the  one  who  had  not  heard  Mass.  The 
other  young  man  was  panic-stricken  at  this,  especially 
as  he  heard,  at  the  same  time,  a  voice  saying :  "  Strike 
26*  U 


306  EXAMPLES  RELATING  TO  THE 

him  too."  A  little  after,  he  felt  encouraged  by  another 
voice,  which  said :  "  I  cannot  strike  him,  because  he 
heard  Mass  this  morning."1 

4.  We  read  of  St.  Elizabeth,  queen  of  Portugal,  that 
she  gave  orders  to  her  almoner  never  to  refuse  an  alms 
to  a  poor  person ;  besides,  she  herself  would  often  give 
alms,  and  employed  several  of  her  domestics  to  do  the 
same.  She  chose  for  this  charitable  office  one  of  her 
pages  especially,  because  she  had  noticed  in  him  a  more 
than  usual  piety.  He  never  omitted  hearing  Mass  every 
day.  Now  it  happened  that  another  page,  through 
envy,  accused  him  to  the  king  of  too  much  familiarity 
with  the  queen.  The  king  became  enraged;  without 
further  examination  he  gave  orders  to  a  certain  person 
who  had  the  care  of  a  furnace,  to  throw  into  it  the  first 
of  his  pages  that  would  go  to  the  place,  and  immedi- 
ately make  known  to  him  the  result.  He  then  sent  the 
page  who  had  been  accused  to  the  place  in  which  the 
furnace  was.  On  his  way  the  page  heard  the  bell  for 
Mass,  and  waited  to  assist  at  the  holy  sacrifice.  Not 
hearing  immediately  what  he  expected  from  the  person 
employed  at  the  furnace,  the  king  sent  the  other  page 
to  see  what  had  happened.  The  miserable  accuser,  be- 
ing the  first  who  arrived,  was  cast  into  the  furnace  and 
burned  alive.  The  innocent  page  afterwards  appeared, 
and,  being  reproved  by  the  king  for  not  having  promptly 
obeyed  his  order,  said  that  he  had  stopped  on  his  way 
to  hear  Mass.     The  king  began  to  suspect  the  accusa- 

Ant.  II.  p.  Theologiae  ix.  c.  10. 


HOLY  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  MASS.  307 

tion  to  be  false,  sought  for  better  information,  and  dis- 
covered the  innocence  of  the  devout  page.1 

5.  Three  merchants  prepared  to  travel  together  from 
the  city  of  Gubbio.  One  of  them  wished  to  hear  Mass 
before  his  departure,  but  the  others  refused  to  wait  for 
him,  and  set  out  by  themselves.  But  when  they  arrived 
at  the  river  Corfuone,  which  had  swelled  to  a  great 
height  in  consequence  of  the  rain  that  fell  during  the 
night,  the  bridge  gave  way,  and  they  were  drowned. 
The  third,  who  had  waited  to  hear  Mass,  found  the  two 
companions  dead  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  thank- 
fully acknowledged  the  grace  which  he  had  received  on 
account  of  having  assisted  at  Mass. 

6.  St.  Anselm,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  when,  on 
account  of  his  old  age,  he  was  no  longer  able  to  say 
Mass,  had  himself  carried  daily  to  the  oratory  in  order 
to  hear  Mass.2 

7.  In  the  Chronicles  of  Spain  it  is  related  of  Pas- 
chalis  Vivas,  a  celebrated  General,  that  whilst  he  was 
hearing  Mass  in  the  Church  of  St.  Martin,  he  was  seen 
at  the  same  time  fighting  in  the  battle  against  the  king 
of  Corduba,  and  gaining  a  most  splendid  victory  over 
the  enemies,  although  he  was  not  present  in  person 
when  the  engagement  took  place,  his  guardian  angel 
assuming  his  form  and  fighting  in  his  place. 

8.  St.  Basil  would  not  finish  Mass  unless  favored 
by  a  heavenly  vision.  Once  this  favor  was  denied  him 
on  account  of  a  lascivious  look  of  his  assistant.  The 
Saint  then  sent  him  away,  whereupon  the  vision  re- 
turned and  he  finished  the  holy  sacrifice. 

J  Chron.  S  Fr.  p.  2,  Lib.  8,  e.  28.  ■  Life  by  Eadmer. 


308  EXAMPLES  RELATING  TO  THE 

9.  Paschasius  relates  that  when  St.  Plegil  said  Mass, 
this  holy  priest  would  see  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Conse- 
crated Host,  under  the  form  of  a  beautiful  child  stretch- 
ing out  his  arms  as  if  to  embrace  him. 

10.  Once,  at  Easter,  Pope  Gregory  I.  celebrated 
Mass  in  the  church  of  St.  Maria  Maggiore  and  said  the 
words,  "  Pax  Domini  sit  semper  vobiscum,"  an  Angel 
of  the  Lord  answered,  in  a  loud  voice,  "  Et  cum  sjnritu 
tuo."  For  this  reason,  when  the  Pope  celebrates  Mass 
on  that  day  in  the  church  and  says,  "  Pax  Domini  sit 
semper  vobiscum,"  no  answer  is  made.1 

11.  We  read  in  the  Life  of  St.  Oswald,  Bishop,  that 
an  Angel  would  assist  him  at  Mass,  and  make  all  the 
necessary  answers. 

12.  "My  children,"  said  the  Cure  of  Ars  one  day, 
"you  remember  the  story  I  told  you  of  that  holy  priest 
who  was  praying  for  his  friend.  God  had  made  known 
to  him,  it  appears,  that  this  friend  was  in  purgatory  ; 
it  came  into  his  mind  that  he  could  do  nothing  better 
than  to  offer  the  holy  sacrifice  of  Mass  for  his  soul. 
When  he  came  to  the  moment  of  Consecration,  he  took 
the  sacred  host  in  his  hands  and  said:  <Oh,  Holy  and 
Eternal  Father,  let  us  make  an  exchange.  Thou  hast 
the  soul  of  my  friend,  who  is  in  purgatory,  and  I  have 
the  Body  of  Thy  Son,  Who  is  in  my  hands;  well,  do 
Thou  deliver  my  friend,  and  I  offer  Thee  Thy  Son, 
with  all  the  merits  of  His  Death  and  Passion/  In 
fact,  at  the  moment  of  the  elevation,  he  saw  the  soul  of 
his    friend   rising  to  heaven,   all   radiant   with   ^lory. 

1  Life  by  John  the  Deacon. 


HOLY  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  MASS.  309 

Well,  my  children,  when  we  want  to  obtain  anything 
from  the  good  God,  let  us  do  the  same.  After  the 
Consecration,  let  us  offer  Him  His  well-beloved  Son, 
with  all  the  merits  of  His  Death  and  His  Passion.  He 
will  not  be  able  to  refuse  us  anything." 

At  the  moment  when  the  mother  of  St.  Alexis 
recognized  her  own  son  in  the  lifeless  body  of  the 
beggar,  who  had  lived  thirty  years  under  the  staircase 
of  her  palace,  she  exclaimed,  "  O,  my  son !  why  have  I 
known  thee  so  late  ?  "  Thus  the  soul,  on  quitting  this 
life,  will  see  Him  Whom  it  possessed  in  the  Holy 
Eucharist,  and,  at  the  sight  of  the  consolations,  of  the 
beauty,  and  of  the  riches  that  it  failed  to  recognize,  it 
will  also  exclaim:  "O,  Jesus!  O,  my  God!  Why 
have  I  known  Thee  so  late  !  " 

13.  During  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Galerius,  thirty 
men  and  seventeen  women  were  arrested  in  the  city  of 
Aluta,  in  Africa,  for  having  heard  Mass  contrary  to  the 
orders  of  the  Emperor.  While  on  their  way  to  Car- 
thage they  never  ceased  singing  hymns  of  praise  in  honor 
of  God.  Having  arrived  at  Carthage,  where  they  were 
to  be  tried  before  the  Emperor,  an  officer  of  the  guard 
said :  "  Behold,  O  Emperor,  these  impious  Christians, 
whom  we  have  arrested  at  Aluta  for  having  heard  Mass 
contrary  to  the  orders  of  your  Majesty."  The  Emperor 
at  once  had  one  of  them  stripped  of  his  clothes,  placed 
on  the  rack,  and  his  flesh  torn  to  pieces.  Meanwhile, 
one  of  the  Christians,  Telica  by  name,  cried  out  in  a 
loud  voire,  "  Why,  O  tyrant,  do  you  put  but  one  of  us 
to  the  rack,  whilst  we  are  all  Christians,  and  all  of  ua 


i5 10  EXAMPLES  RELATING  TO  THE 

heard  Mass  at  the  same  time."  At  once  the  judge 
treated  this  one  just  as  cruelly  as  the  other,  saying, 
"  Who  was  the  author  of  your  meeting  ? "  "  Sa- 
turninus,  the  priest,"  replied  the  Christians,  "and  we 
all  together ;  but  you,  O  impious  Avretch,  act  most  un- 
justly towards  us.  We  are  neither  murderers  nor 
robbers,  nor  have  we  done  any  harm."  The  judge 
said,  "You  should  have  obeyed  our  orders,  and  re- 
mained away  from  your  false  worship."  Telica  replied, 
"  I  obey  the  orders  of  the  true  God,  for  which  I  am 
ready  to  die."  Then,  by  the  Emperor's  orders,  Telica 
was  taken  off  the  rack  and  thrown  into  prison. 

After  this  the  brother  of  St.  Victoria  came  forth 
accusing  Datiorus  for  having  taken  his  sister,  Victoria, 
to  Mass.  But  the  Saint  replied,  "  Not  by  the  per 
mission  of  man,  but  of  my  own  accord,  I  went  to  hear 
Mass.  I  am  a  Christian,  and,  as  such,  I  am  bound  to 
obey  the  laws  of  Christ."  Her  brother  replied,  "  You 
are  crazy,  and  talk  like  a  crazy  woman."  She  said, 
"  I  am  not  crazy,  but  I  am  a  Christian."  The  Emperor 
asked  her,  "Do  you  wish  to  return  home  with  your 
brother?"  She  answered,  "No,  I  will  not;  I  take 
those  for  my  brothers  and  sisters  who  are  Christians 
like  me,  and  suffer  for  Jesus  Christ."  The  Emperor 
said,  "  Save  your  life  and  follow  your  brother."  She 
answered,  "I  will  not  leave  my  brothers  and  sisters^ 
for  I  confess  to  you  that  I  heard  Mass  with  them,  and 
received  Holy  Communion."  The  judge  then  tried 
every  means  to  make  her  apostatize,  for  she  was  very 
beautiful  and  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  noblest  fam- 


HOLY  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  MASS.  311 

llies  of  the  city.  When  her  parents  wanted  to  force 
her  to  marry,  she  jumped  out  of  the  window  and  had 
her  hair  cut  off.  Then  the  judge  addressed  the  priest 
Saiurninus,  saying,  "  Did  you,  contrary  to  our  orders, 
call  these  Christians  to  a  meeting?"  The  priest  re- 
plied, "  I  called  them  in  obedience  to  the  law  of  God, 
to  meet  for  His  service."  The  Emperor  then  asked, 
"Why  did  you  do  this?"  Saturninus  replied,  " Be- 
cause we  are  forbidden  to  stay  away  from  Mass." 
"  Are  you,  then,  the  author  of  this  meeting  ?  "  asked 
the  Emperor.  "  I  am,"  said  the  priest,  "  and  I  myself 
said  the  Mass."  Upon  this,  the  priest  was  taken  and 
put  to  the  rack,  and  his  flesh  torn  by  sharp  iron  points, 
so  much  so  that  his  entrails  could  be  seen ;  finally  he 
was  thrown  into  prison. 

After  this,  St.  Emericus  was  tried.  "  Who  are  you  ?  " 
lie  was  asked.  "  I  am  the  author  of  this  meeting,"  he 
replied,  "for  the  Mass  was  celebrated  in  my  house." 
"Why  did  you,"  said  the  Emperor,  "permit  them, 
aontrary  to  our  orders,  to  enter  your  house  ?  "  "  Be7 
cause  they  are  my  brothers,"  said  Emericus,  "  and  we 
cannot  do  without  Mass."  Then  his  flesh  was  also 
mangled,  after  which  he  was  led  to  prison  to  the  other 
martyrs. 

The  judge  then  said  to  the  other  Christians:  "You 
have  seen  how  your  companions  have  been  treated ;  I 
hope  you  will  have  pity  on  yourselves,  and  save  your 
lives."  "  We  are  all  Christians,"  they  cried  out  with 
one  voice,  "  and  we  will  keep  the  law  of  Christ,  being 
ready  to  shed  our  blood  for  it."     Then  the  iniquitous 


312  EXAMPLES  RELATING  TO  THE 

judge  said  to  one  of  them  named  Felix,  "I  do  not 
ask  you  whether  you  are  a  Christian,  but  whether 
you  were  present  at  this  meeting,  and  heard  Mass  ? " 
"What  foolish  question  is  this,"  replied  Felix; 
ujust  as  if  Christians  could  do  without  Mass;  in- 
carnate devil,  I  tell  you  that  we  were  very  devout  at 
the  meeting,  and  prayed  most  fervently  during  the  holy 
Sacrifice."  At  these  words,  the  tyrant  felt  so  much 
enraged  that  he  knocked  the  holy  martyr  down,  and 
beat  him  till  he  expired.  The  remainder  of  the 
Christians  were  also  thrown  into  prison,  where  they 
died  from  starvation.1 

14.  It  is  related  in  the  life  of  St.  John  a  Facundo, 
O.  S.  A.,  that  he  was  unusually  long  in  saying  his 
Mass.  For  this  reason  no  one  liked  to  serve  it.  His 
Prior  told  him  that  he  must  not  be  longer  in  saying  his 
Mass  than  were  the  other  priests.  He  tried  to  obey, 
but  finding  obedience  in  this  point  so  extremely  difficult, 
he  begged  his  Prior  to  permit  him  to  say  his  Mass  in 
the  same  manner  as  formerly.  After  hearing  his  rea- 
sons, the  Prior  most  willingly  granted  this  permission. 
With  John's  leave,  he  told  these  reasons  to  the  brothers 
of  the  convent.  They  were  the  following  :  "  Believe 
me,"  he  said,  "  that  Father  John's  Mass  lasts  so  long 
because  God  bestows  on  him  the  privilege  of  seeing  the 
mysteries  of  the  Holy  Sacrifice,  which  are  so  sublime 
that  no  human  mind  can  understand  them.  Of  these 
mysteries  he  told  me  things  so  sublime  that  I  was  over- 
whelmed with  holy  awe,  and  almost   beside  myself. 

1  Baronius. 


HOLY  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  MASS.  313 

Believe  me,  Jesus  Christ  shows  Himself  to  this  Father 
in  a  most  wonderful  manner,  converses  with  Him  most 
sweetly,  and  sends  forth  upon  him  from  His  wounds  % 
heavenly  light  and  splendor  so  refreshing  for  both  body 
and  soul  that  he  might  live  without  any  other  nour- 
ishment. Father  John  also  sees  the  body  of  Jesus 
Christ  in  its  heavenly  glory  and  beauty  shining  like  a 
most  brilliant  sun.  Now,  considering  how  great  and 
how  unspeakably  sublime  the  graces  and  favors  are 
which  men  derive  from  saying  Mass,  or  from  hearing 
it,  I  have  firmly  resolved  never  to  omit  saying  or  hear- 
ing Mass,  and  will  exhort  others  to  do  the  same."  x 

15.  Bollandus  relates  of  St.  Coleta,  that  one  day, 
when  she  was  hearing  the  Mass  of  her  confessor,  she 
suddenly  exclaimed  at  the  elevation :  "  My  God  !  O 
Jesus  !  O  ye  Angels  and  Saints  !  O  ye  men  and  sin- 
ners, behold  the  great  marvels !  "  After  the  Mass,  her 
confessor  asked  her  why  she  had  wept  so  bitterly  and 
uttered  such  pitiable  cries.  "Had  your  Reverence," 
she  said,  "heard  and  seen  the  things  which  I  heard  and. 
saw,  perhaps  you  would  have  wept,  and  exclaimed  more 
than  I  have  done."  "  What  was  it  that  you  saw  ? " 
asked  her  confessor  further.  "  Although  that  which  I 
heard  and  saw,"  she  replied,  "  is  so  sublime  and  so  di- 
vine that  no  man  can  ever  find  words  to  express  it  in  a 
becoming  manner,  yet  I  will  endeavor  to  describe  it  to 
your  Reverence  as  well  as  my  feeble  language  will  per- 
mit. When  your  Reverence  was  raising  the  Sacred 
Host,  I  saw  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  if  hanging  on  the 

1  Mensehen  in  Act.  Sanct.,  Ad.  xii.,  Diem  Juui. 
27 


314  EXAMPLES  RELATING  TO  THE 

cross,  shedding  His  Blood,  and  praying  to  His  heavet.  * 
Father  in  most  lamentable  accents:  ' Behold,  O  My 
Father,  in  what  condition  I  was  once  hanging  on  the 
cross  and  suffering  for  the  redemption  of  the  world. 
Behold  My  wounds,  My  sufferings,  My  death:  I  have 
suffered  all  this  in  order  that  poor  sinners  might  not  be 
lost.  But  now  Thou  wilt  send  them  to  hell  for  their 
sins.  What  good,  then,  will  result  from  my  sufferings 
and  cruel  death !  Those  damned  souls,  when  in  hell, 
instead  of  thanking  Me  for  my  Passion,  will  only  curse 
Me  for  it ;  but  should  they  be  saved,  they  would  bless 
Me  for  all  eternity.  I  beseech  Thee,  My  Father,  to 
spare  poor  sinners  and  to  forgive  them  for  My  sake ; 
and,  for  the  sake  of  My  Passion,  preserve  them  from 
being  damned  forever." 

16.  A  most  remarkable  miracle  happened  at  Wal- 
duren  in  the  year  1330.  A  priest  named  Otto,  during 
the  celebration  of  his  Mass,  accidentally  upset  the  chal- 
ice after  the  Consecration,  and  the  Sacred  Blood  was 
spilt  upon  the  corporal.  All  at  once  there  appeared 
upon  the  corporal  the  figure  of  Jesus  Christ  hanging 
on  the  cross,  and  around  it  twelve  figures  of  the  sacred 
head  crowned  with  thorns  and  disfigured  with  blood. 
The  priest  was  frightened  almost  to  death,  and  endeav- 
ored to  conceal  the  accident  by  hiding  the  corpotal  in 
the  altar.  When  this  priest  was  lying  on  his  death- 
bed, his  agony  was  unusually  great  and  horrifying. 
Thinking  that  his  great  sufferings  were  caused  on  ac- 
count of  his  having  so  concealed  the  corporal,  he  called 
for  a  priest,  to  whom  he  made  his  confession,  asking 


HOL  Y  SA  ORIFICE  OF  THE  MASS  315 

him  to  look  for  the  corporal,  and  giving  him  permis- 
sion to  reveal  the  miraculous  fact.  The  corporal  was 
found  and  forwarded  to  Pope  Urban  V«,  who  confirmed 
the  miracle  as  being  authentic.  This  event  is  well 
known  throughout  Germany. 

17.  A  similar  miracle  occurred  during  the  time  of 
Pope  Urban  IV.,  in  the  year  1263,  at  Volsia,  a  town 
not  far  from  Rome.  A  certain  priest  having  pronounced 
the  words  of  Consecration  over  the  bread  at  Mass,  had 
a  temptation  against  faith,  the  devil  suggesting  to  him 
the  doubt  how  Jesus  Christ  could  be  present  in  the 
Host,  when  he  could  see  nothing  of  Him.  He  con- 
sented to  the  temptation,  but,  nevertheless,  continued 
saying  the  Mass.  Now,  at  the  elevation  of  the  sacred 
host,  behold,  he  and  all  the  people  who  were  present, 
saw  blood  flowing  abundantly  from  the  Host  down 
upon  the  altar.  Some  cried  out:  "O  sacred  blood! 
what  does  this  mean?  O  divine  blood!  who  is  the 
cause  of  Thy  being  shed  ?"  Others  prayed  :  "  O  sacred 
blood !  come  down  upon  our  souls  and  purify  them  from 
the  stains  of  sin."  Others  beat  their  breasts  and  shed 
tears  of  sorrow  for  their  sins.  When  Mass  was  over, 
the  people  all  rushed  to  the  sacristy  in  order  to  learn 
from  the  priest  what  had  happened  during  his  Mass. 
He  showed  them  the  corporal  all  stained  with  the  sa- 
cred blood,  and  when  they  beheld  it,  they  fell  upon 
their  knees  imploring  the  Divine  mercy.  The  miracle 
became  known  all  over  the  country,  and  many  persons 
hastened  to  Volsia  to  see  the  miraculous  corporal. 
Pope  Urban  IV.  called  the  priest  thither,  who  came, 


3i6  EXAMPLES  RELATING  TO  THE 

confessed  his  sin,  and  showed  the  corporal.  On  be- 
holding it,  the  Pope,  Cardinals,  and  all  the  clergy, 
knelt  down,  adored  the  blood,  and  kissed  the  corporal. 
The  Pope  ordered  a  church  to  be  built  at  Volsia  in 
honor  of  the  sacred  blood,  and  ordered  the  corporal  to 
be  carried  in  solemn  procession  on  the  anniversary  of 
the  day  on  which  the  miracle  occurred.1 

18.  St.  Dominic  was  once  saying  Mass  in  London, 
England,  in  the  presence  of  the  King  and  Queen  and 
three  hundred  other  persons.  As  he  was  making  the 
memento  for  the  living,  he  suddenly  became  enraptured, 
remaining  motionless  for  the  space  of  a  whole  hour. 
All  present  were  greatly  astonished,  and  did  not  know 
what  to  think  or  to  make  of  it.  The  king  ordered  the 
Server  to  pull  the  priest's  robe,  that  he  might  go  on 
with  his  Mass.  But  on  attempting  to  do  so,  the  Server 
became  so  terribly  frightened  that  he  was  unable  to 
comply  with  the  king's  order.  After  an  hour's  time, 
St.  Dominic  was  able  to  continue  the  Mass,  when,  be- 
hold !  at  the  elevation  of  the  Sacred  Host,  the  king  and 
all  who  were  present  saw,  instead  of  the  Host  in  the 
hands  of  the  priest,  the  holy  Infant  Jesus,  at  the  sight 
of  which  all  experienced  great  interior  joy.  At  the 
same  time  they  beheld  the  Mother  of  God  in  great 
brilliancy  and  splendor,  and  surrounded  by  twelve 
bright  stars.  She  took  the  hand  of  her  Divine  Infant 
to  bless  with  it  all  those  who  were  present  at  the  Mass. 
At  this  blessing  many  experienced  an  ineifable  joy,  and 
shed  tears  of  tenderness.     At  the  elevation  of  the  chal- 

1   Platina's  Life  of  Urban  IV. 


HOLY  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  MASS.  317 

• 

ftje  every  one  saw  a  cross  uprising  from  it,  with  Jesus 
Christ  hanging  upon  it  in  a  most  pitiable  condition, 
and  shedding  all  His  Blood.  The  Blessed  Virgin  was 
also  seen  sprinkling,  as  it  were,  the  sacred  blood  over 
the  people,  upon  which  every  one  received  a  clear 
knowledge  of  his  sins,  and  a  deep  sorrow  for  the  same, 
so  much  so  that  every  one  who  saw  them  could  not 
help  weeping  with  them. 

Mass  being  ended,  St.  Dominic  ascended  the  pulpit, 
and  addressed  the  people  as  follows :  "  Sing  ye  to  the 
Lord  a  new  Canticle,  because  he  hath  done  wonderful 
things."1     "You   have  all  seen  with  your  own  eyes, 
and  experienced   in  your  own   hearts,  the  wonderful 
things  which  Jesus  Christ  has  done  in  the  Most  Blessed 
Sacrament.     You  have  seen  with  your  eyes,  and  it  has 
been  given  to  you  to  understand  how  Jesus  Christ  the 
Saviour  of  the  world  and  the  son  of  Mary,  has  been 
pleased  to  be  born  anew,  and  to  be  again  crucified  for 
you.     In  this  divine  and  tremendous  mystery  of  holy 
Mass,  you  have  witnessed  only  things  most  holy,  most 
sublime,  most  consoling,  and  most  touching.     It  is  not 
only  one  or  a  few  of  you  who  have  seen  these  wonder- 
ful things,  but  the  entire  three  hundred  here  assembled 
have  witnessed  them.     Now,  if  there  be  but  one  little 
spark  of  divine  love  in  your  hearts,  sentiments  of  grat- 
itude and  hymns  of  praise  in  honor  of  the  Divine  good- 
ness and  Majesty  ought  to  flow  incessantly  from  your 

lips."2 

19.  It  is  related  of  Drahomira,  the  mother  of  St. 

»  ps#  xcvii.  «  Ex.  lib.  inter.  P>.  Alanui  rediv.,  par.  3,  ehap.  22. 

27* 


318  EXAMPLES  RELATING  TO  THE 

• 
Wenceslaus,—  a  very  impious  Duchess  of  Bohemia,— 
how  she  one  day  went  in  her  carriage  to  Saes,  in  order 
to  take  a  solemn  oath  on  her  father's  grave  to  extirpate 
all  the  Christians  in  her  dominions.  Passing  a  chapel 
in  which  Mass  was  being  said,  the  driver,  hearing  the 
bell  ringing  for  the  elevation,  alighted  from  his  borse 
and  knelt  down  reverently  to  adore  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  on  the  altar.  At  this  the  impious  Duchess  flew 
into  a  violent  passion,  cursing  the  driver  and  the  Blessed 
Sacrament.  In  punishment  for  her  horrible  blasphe- 
mies, the  earth  opened  and  swallowed  her  and  her  whole 
escort.  They  cried  for  help,  but  in  vain.  In  a  mo- 
ment they  were  gone  forever.  The  driver  rejoiced  in- 
deed for  having  alighted  from  his  horse  to  adore  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  j  his  faith  and  devotion  saving  him 
from  destruction.1 

20.  The  Albigenses,  certain  heretics,  who  arose  in  the 
beginning  of  the  twelfth  century,  forbade  any  priest, 
under  great  penalty,  to  say  what  they  called  a  private 
Mass.  Having  learned  that  a  certain  priest  had  said 
Mass  contrary  to  their  orders,  they  arrested  him,  say- 
ing :  "  We  have  been  told  that  you  have  said  a  private 
Mass,  notwithstanding  our  strict  orders  to  the  contrary. 
Is  this  true?"  Without  fear  the  priest  replied  as  did 
the  Apostles  when  before  the  Jewish  Council :  (i  We 
must  be  more  obedient  to  God  than  to  men;  for  this 
reason  I  have  said  Mass  in  honor  of  God  and  the 
Blessed  Virgin,  notwithstanding  your  unjust  orders." 
Enraged  by  this  answer,  they  beat  the  pious  priest  and 

Hagec.  ia  Chronic.  Bohenaic.  ad.  ana.  930. 


HOLY  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  MASS.  319 

pulled  out  his  tongue.  The  servant  of  God  suffered 
this  most  cruel  pain  very  patiently.  He  went  to  the 
Church,  and  there  he  knelt  before  the  altar  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin,  praying  with  his  heart  to  the  Mother 
of  God  to  restore  his  tongue.  The  Blessed  Virgin 
appeared  to  him  with  his  tongue  in  her  hand,  saying, 
u  On  account  of  the  honor  which  you  have  rendered  to 
God  and  to  me  by  saying  Mass,  I  herewith  restore  your 
tongue,  requesting  you  at  the  same  time  to  continue  to 
say  Mass.  He  thanked  the  Mother  of  God  for  this 
blessing,  and,  returning  to  the  people,  he  showed  them 
his  tongue,  and  confounded  the  enemies  of  Mass.1 

1  Cesarius  of  Heisterbach,  who  protests  in  his  book  that  he  has  written 
nothing  which  he  did  not  see  himself,  or  hear  from  such  witnesses  aa 
would  be  willing  rather  to  die  than  to  tell  a  lie. 


HYMN 

Of  Thanksgiving  to  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament- 


1.  Sweet  Jesus,  hid  for  love  of  me, 
How  shall  I  render  thanks  to  Thee  ? 
Ah !  would  that  my  poor  love  could  be 
The  half  of  that  Thou'st  shown  for  mcl 

2.  What  wondrous  act  is  this  of  Thine, 
To  make  Thyself  so  wholly  mine  ? 

My  food,  great  God,  Thou  deign'st  to  be^ 
To  show  how  well  Thou  lovest  me ! 

8.   Lord  Jesus,  come,  1  beg  of  Thee, 

And  with  Thy  grace  pray  strengthen  me. 
For  Thee  alone  my  heart  doth  beat  — 
Ah !  make  of  it  Thy  mercy-seat. 

4.  E'en  as  the  thirsty  stag  doth  fiy 
To  running  brook,  so,  Lord,  do  I 
With  longing  heart  pant  after  Thee; 
Then,  come,  sweet  Jesus,  come  to  me! 

f».   Ah !  hasten,  Lord,  make  no  delay ! 
Come,  wed  my  heart  this  very  day, 
That  thus  united  here  below, 
I  may  not  fear  eternal  woe. 


HYMN  OF  THANKSGIVING  TO  JESUS  CHRIST.      321 

6.  With  steadfast  faith  I  cling  to  Thee, 
And  press  Thee,  Lord,  most  tenderly 
Unto  my  weak  and  sinful  heart, 

Well  pleased  to  claim  Thee  as  my  part. 

7.  Now,  Thou  art  mine  and  I  am  Thine ! 
Ah!  mortal  words  can  ne'er  define 
My  happiness  thus  close  to  be 
United,  dearest  Lord,  with  Thee. 

8.  By  day  and  night  I'll  sing  Thy  praise* 
My  voice  in  grateful  anthems  raise, 

To  thee,  dear  Shepherd  of  my  soul, 
Nor  shrink  beneath  Thy  meek  control 

9.  This  passing  life  sufficeth  not 

To  thank  Thee  for  my  happy  lot, 
So  favor'd  by  Thy  love  to  be  — 
Ah!  Lord,  'twill  take  eternity. 

10.  Had  I  a  thousand  lives  to  lay 
In  sacrifice  each  dawning  day, 

It  would,  most  holy,  gracious  Lord, 
Be  for  Thy  love  a  poor  reward. 

11.  1  cannot  love  Thee  as  I  should, 
Nor  even  as  my  poor  heart  would 
For  pardon,  then,  I  humbly  crave. 
And  beg  Thee,  still,  my  soul  to  save. 

12.  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  for  Thee  I  live, 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  I  beg  Thee,  give 
Me  grace  to  die  through  love  of  Thee, 
And  be  Thine  own  eternally. 


OZBIoA-TZOHT. 

I  offer  Thee  this  book,  0  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Fount  of  eternal  ligb 
in  union  with  that  ineffable  charity  which  moved  Thee,  the  only 
begotten  of  the  Father,  in  the  plenitude  of  the  Divinity,  to  take 
upon  Thyself  our  nature  and  to  become  man,  I  beseech  Thee 
to  take  it  into  Thy  divine  keeping,  that  it  may  glorify  Thy 
divine  bounty  towards  us,  vile  creatures  that  we  are.     And 
since  Thou,  the  Almighty  Dispenser   of  all  good  things, 
dost  vouchsafe  to  nourish  us  during   our  exile,  until, 
beholding  Thy  glory  with  unveiled  countenance,  we 
are  transformed  into  Thee,  grant,  I  beseech  Thee,  to 
all  who  read  these  writings  with  humility,  that  they 
may  be  charmed  with  the  sweetness  of  Thy  charity, 
and  inwardly  drawn  to  desire  the  same  for  fur- 
therance in  perfection,  so  that,  elevating  their 
hearts  towards  Thee  with   burning  love,  they 
may  be  like  so  many  golden  censers,  whose 
awe^t  odors  shall  abundantly  supply  all  my 
negligence  and  ingratitude. 

Dear   Mother   Mary,    do    thou    also 
§>ray  to  thy  Divine  Son  for  all  those 
*no   may   read   this   little   book. 

322 


NOTICES  OF  THE  PRESS,  ETC. 


THE  BLESSED  EUCHARIST  OUR  GREATEST  TREASURE, 

BY    MICHAEL    MULLER, 
Priest  of  the  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer. 


Published  by  FR.  PUSTET  &  CO.,  New  Youk. 


We  have  received  the  following  recommendation  of  this  work  from  the 
Most  Rev.  Archbishop  of  Baltimore-  — 

We  have  read  with  much  pleasure  and  with  great  edification  this  valu- 
able work  composed  bv  one  of  our  Redemptorist  Fathers  in  Baltimore. 
We  have  found  the  matter  solid,  well  digested,  and  instructive,  and  the 
style  simple,  earnest,  and  full  of  unction.  The  examples  are,  in  general, 
appropriately  selected  as  illustrations  of  the  text ;  and  many  of  them  are 
very  edifying  and  even  touching.  These  are,  of  course,  to  be  received, 
according  to  the  author's  timely  protest  in  the  beginning,  with  the  wise 
reserve  expressly  ordered  by  the  Church  in  regard  to  such  matters,  in  tna 
well-known  Bull  of  Urban  VIII. ;  but,  with  this  necessary  precaution, 
such  legends  are  profitable  unto  edification,  as  the  way  of  teaching  by  ex- 
ample is  much  more  compendious,  as  well  as  much  more  impressive,  than 
that  by  word  or  writing.  It  is  refreshing  to  find  in  this  cold  utilitarian 
a<re  a  work  issued  from  the  press  so  full  of  Catholic  life  and  so  glowing 
with  the  fire  of  Catholic  love.  Believing  that  its  extensive  circulation  and 
diligent  perusal  will  be  promotive  of  piety,  and  will  be  useful  to  all  classes 
both  within  and  without  the  Church,  we  earnestly  recommend  the  work  to 
the  faithful  people  under  cur  charge. 

Martin  John  Spalding, 

Archbishop  of  Baltimore. 

Baltimore,  Feast  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales,  1868. 

FATHER  MULLER'S  LATE  WORK  —  "THE  BLESSED  EUCHA- 
RIST "—We  are  pleased  to  find  that  Father  Miiller's  recent  excellent  work 
"  The  Bleated  Eucharist  cur  Greatest  Treasure,"  has  already  attracted  the 
liveliest  interest  on  the  part  of  the  Press  and  Clergy.  It  was  but  one  week 
ago  that  this  edifying  and  beautiful  treatise  was  issued  from  the  press  ol 
Messrs.  Pustet  &  Co.  In  the  last  impression  of  the  Mirror  we  noticed 
t-he  wor'i.  and  during  the  short  time  which  has  intervened,  "  Ihe  Blessed 
Eucharist"  has  elicited  the  most  favorable  and  complimentary  notices. 
We  herewith  insert  one  or  two  of  the  letters  which  the  Rev.  author  hai 
already  received,  and  a  communication  which  the  Editor  of  the  Volke-ZeituT^ 
!*&«  also  received  in  commendation  of  this  truly  devotional  work  :— 

1 


H  NOTICES  OF  THE  PRESS,  ETC. 

Letter  from  Bishop  Luers. 

K  ,    Tx         „.  Fort  Wayne,  Jan.  23,  1868. 

Bev.  and  Dear  Sir,— The  "Blessed  Eucharist,"  of  which  you  have 
kindly  sent  me  a  copy,  is  truly  a  charming  work.  It  should  be  in  every 
uatnolic  family,  -  J 

Yours  truly  in  Christ, 

J.  H.  Luers,  Bishop  of  Fort  Wayne. 

Letter  from  Father  0' C allay han. 

■»  ,  n         _    ,  Georgetown  College,  17th  January. 

Rc-v  and  Dear  Father,  -  Let  me  thank  you  for  the  precious  volume 
you  had  the  kindness  to  send  me.  I  have  not  yet  finished  reading  it,  but 
what  I  nave  read  pleases  me  very  much.  Many  fruits  of  dev  tion  will  I 
am  sure,  come  from  the  blessed  seed  you  have  sown  there.  To  make  our 
Lord  known  m  the  Sacrament  of  His  Love,  is  the  most  efficacious  means 
Burtuy  :°  making  souls  live  His  life. 

Be  assured,  my  dear  Father,  that  you  have  my  remembrance  at  the  holy 
altar  and  ir.  my  daily  petitions  for  all  blessings,  but  especially  for  a  bless- 
ing on  cne  book  you  have  given  us. 

Your  humble  servant  ?«<?  *Viend 

Joseph  O'Uallaghan,  S,  J. 


Letter  to  the  F^llor  of  the  Volks-Zeitung  from  a  Jesuit  Father. 

All  devout  w-Vonippers  of  Jesus  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  will  hail  with 

delignt  the  publication  of  this   book.     Every  zealous  priest  who  has  been 

in  the  ministry  among  American  Catholics  and  observed  their  lukewarmness 

in  regard  to  attending  at  Mass  and  visiting  the  Blessed   Sacrament,  must 

SwkSi  ng      £ir+tt0  \Cf  a  WOrk  Hke  the  Present>  Published  in  the 

English  language.     Father  Miiller's  book  will  render  the  same  services  to 
English  speaking  Catholics,  that  Father  Martin  of  Cochem's  work,  entitled 
Explanation  of  Holy  Mass,"  has  rendered  to  the  German  Catholics.     The 
subject  is  treated  in  this  book  in  nearly  the  same  manner  as  in  the  «  Expla- 

TZZy      « ?  y    LlSV     ,We  &nf- iD  U  the  Same  simP]e  acd  famili^  language; 
it  breathes  the  same  fresh  vitality  and  fervent  piety 

«rJhffc  RCV;  ^^l01"'  c°nVe/Sant  With  the  religious  "condition  of  our  country 
and  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  English-speaking  Catholics,  has  fully  com- 
prehended his  task  of  making  the  treatise  on  the  important  dogma  of  the 
Eucharist  both  attractive  and  edifying  to  them.  Let'the  argumentation  be 
short,  concise,  logical  and  illustrated  with  well  authenticated  facts,  and  the 
desirable  inference  w  x  be  made  spontaneously.  The  pious  reader  will  re- 
joice to  find  amc:.g  the  examples  related  the  most  striking  ones  of  our  own 
ZQtVfSrt  f  ,that  °l  Ml'S-  ^attingly,  the  burning  of  the  Ursuline  Con 
«  V«J{  ^ha,rle8t?^  Mass-  i  that  of  Rev.  Father  Urbahek,  which  happened 
n  1847,  that  wnich  occurred  in  Metz,  1865,  and  many  others  which  hav« 
aken  place  in  our  own  times,  of  which  the  press  took  notice  at  the  time 
they  occurred,  the  remembrance  of  which,  however,  has  been  lost  by  tht 
fX',  h!s  work  may  therefore,  be  styled  also  a  kind  of  memorandum 
to  ihGJ*.\T  wond"r8  ?I  th7e  LQrd-  But  °a  this  subject  a  special  work  oughl 
to  fc«  written,  gush  as  the  Jesuits  composed  in  the  last  century 


NOTICES  OF  THE  PRESS,  ETC.  ill 

The  work  is  not  controversial,  but  its  aim  is  the  practical  application 
ef  the  dogma  of  which  it  treats.     It  contains  18  chapters." 

Contents. — Chapter  1 :  The  Doctrine  of  the  Real  Presence.  Ch.  2  :  On 
the  Reverence  due  to  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  Ch.  3 :  On 
the  Love  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  Ch.  4 :  On  Visiting 
Jesus  Christ  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  Ch.  5  :  On  the  Great  Desire  of 
Jesus  Christ  to  enter  into  our  Hearts  in  He  ly  Communion.  Ch.  6  :  On 
Preparation  for  Communion.  Ch.  7 :  On  Thanksgiving  after  Communion. 
Ch.  8  :  On  the  Effects  of  Holy  Communion.  Ch.  9  :  The  Excuses  of  those  who 
do  not  Communicate  Frequently.  Ch.  10 :  On  Unworthy  Communion. 
Ch.  11 :  On  Spiritual  Communion.  Ch.  12  :  Considerations  on  the  Virtues 
that  Jesus  Christ  Teaches  us  in  the  Most  Holy  Sacrament  of  the  Altar. 
Ch.  13  :  The  Most  Holy  Festival  of  Corpus  Christi  and  its  Origin.  Ch.  14: 
Additional  Examples  Relating  to  the  Real  Presence.  Ch.  15 :  The  Most 
Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass.  Ch.  16 :  On  the  Ceremonies  of  Mass.  Ch.  17: 
An  Exhortation  to  hear  Mass  Devoutly.  Ch.  18:  Examples  Relating  to 
the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass. 

"The  type  is  clear  and  neat;  the  paper  is  of  the  best  quality,  and  the 
shape  of  the  book  like  that  of  Martin  of  Cochem's  '  Explanation  of  the 
Mass.'  The  book  in  general  is  got  up  in  such  a  manner  as  to  reflect 
credit  upon  Messrs.  Kelly  &  Piet.  It  would  be  desirable  to  use  several  of 
the  chapters  presented  in  pamphlet  form  like  '  Rev.  Father  Furniss'  Tracts,' 
for  the  use  of  the  Missionary  priest.  One  familiar  with  the  present  re- 
ligious movement  in  our  country  must  hail  this  book  as  a  work  of  Divine 
Providence.  The  reign  of  our  holy  Father,  Pope  Pius  IX.,  has  been 
styled  '  Crux  de  Cruce/  i.  e.,  Cross  upon  Cross,  but  will  soon  appear 
among  our  erring  brethren,  seeking  after  truth,  the  reign  called  '  Lumen 
de  Ccelo,'  i.  e.,  Light  from  Heaven.  God  grant  that  this  book  may  be 
one  of  th*  means  to  bring  about  those  happy  times  in  our  country." 

In  conclusion  we  recommend  this  work  as  one  of  the  best  that  could  be 
selected  for  the  purpose  of  distribution  of  premiums  in  Parochial  schools, 
Academies,  etc. 

"  The  Blessed  Eucharist  our  Greatest  Treasure."  By  Michael  Mtil- 
ler,  C.  S.  S.  R. 
We  have  read  this  beautiful  book ;  we  have  tasted  the  sweetness  of  its 
thoughts,  and  we  are  reading  it  again.  There  is  a  humility  about  its  style 
so  like  His  humility  who  dwells  with  us  in  the  Holy  Sacrament.  Deep 
thoughts  in  plain  words  —  doctrinal  sublimities  in  language  so  simple  that 
a  child,  without  effort,  may  understand.  It  is,  indeed,  a  book  of  piety, 
and  it  will  fill  many  a  heart  with  love  for  the  Great  Mystery  of  the  Altar. 

Banner  of  the  South,  Augusta,  Ga. 


From  the  Freeman's  Journal. 
With  unwonted  delight  we  have  read  a  volume  just  issued  by  Messrs. 
PuBtet«fcCo.,NowYorklk  entitled:  " The  Blessed  Eucharist,  cur  Great- 
est Treasure."  By  the  Very  Rev.  Michael  Muller,  C.  S.  S.  R.,  Rector  of 
the  Redemptorist  House  of  St.  Alphonsus,  Baltimore.  On  taking  up  this 
treatise,  all  our  prepossessions  were  against  us.  We  thought :  "  Why  try 
to  say  more  or  better,  than  has  been  said  on  it?  Is  there  not  enough  writ- 
ten v     Is  not  the  multiplication   of  devotional   books  a  kind  of  spirituaJ 


fv  NOTICES  OF  THE  PRESS,    ETC, 

dissipation  ?     What  child  of  St.  Alphonsus  can  write  on  the  Blessed  Sao 
rament  better  than  St.  Alphonsus  has  written  ?" 

But  the  first  page  of  the  Preface  humiliated  us.  On  it  we  read :  "  Our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  Adorable  Sacrament,  is  such  an  abundant  foun- 
tain that,  the  more  it  flows  the  fuller  it  becomes ;  and  the  fuller  it  becomes 
the  more  it  flows;  which  signifies  that  the  most  Holy  Eucharist  is  so  great 
and  so  sublime  a  mystery,  that  the  more  we  say  of  it,  the  more  remains  to 
be  said!" 

It  is  even  so.  St.  Alphonsus,  being  dead,  as  to  the  body,  in  this  world, 
still  speaks.  This  treatise,  by  a  son  of  the  Order  he  founded,  reads  as  if 
he  were  yet  alive,  and,  having  crossed  the  ocean,  had  written  this  treatite 
to  stir  up  devotion  in  America. 

In  saying  this  much,  we  do  not  think  we  exaggerate.  Whoever  has 
found  a  special  attraction  in  the  simple  and  direct  fervor  —  the  straight- 
forward earnestness  mingled  with  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  world  —  in 
St.  Alphonsus'  writings,  will  delight  in  this  volume  of  Father  Muller's. 
There  is  the  same  spirit  —  the  same  lively  faith.  But  it  is  written  in 
America,  not  in  Italy.  There  is  a  careful  suggestion  of  doctrinal  instruc- 
tion, and  of  anticipations  to  certain  objections,  that,  in  Italy,  in  the  last 
century,  when  St.  Alphonsus  wrote,  would  have  been  out  of  place.  Among 
us,  it  is  salutary. 

But,  besides  this,  the  volume  has  nothing  of  the  cold  and  dry  system 
that  makes  religion,  among  us,  so  often,  a  thing  of  duty  more  than  of  love. 
It  does  not  stand,  wrangling  and  disputing,  at  the  door  of  the  Church.  It 
takes  the  arm  of  the  poor  wanderer,  leads  him  up  to  the  Altar-rails,  and 
bids  him  kneel  and  ask  for  what  he  needs. 

It  is  not  for  us  to  tell  how  beautiful  this  volume  is.  To  appreciate  it,  it 
must  be  read  as  a  book  of  devotion  —  into  which  the  experience  of  the 
Missionary  priest  has  taught  him  to  incorporate  minute  spiritual  in- 
structions. 

There  is  one  feature  in  this  volume,  on  which  we  wish,  however,  to 
remark.  Father  Miiller  has  introduced,  freely,  the  recital  of  prodigies  and 
miracles.  He  has  taken  special  pains  to  point  out  that  these  do  not,  in 
any  one  instance,  demand  belief,  as  a  Divine  revelation.  They  rest  on 
human  faith.  In  an  age  such  as  this,  when  even  the  daily  papers  report, 
so  often,  exhibitions  of  events  preternatural  —  events  that  show  how  pow- 
ers that  cannot  be  human  are  at  work  —  in  a  time  when  Judges  of  our 
highest  courts,  and  men  in  the  most  prominent  ranks  of  political  life,  arc 
in  the  habit  of  consulting  "  spiritual  mediums,"  by  "  table-tippings,"  and 
other  diabolical  incantations,  it  is,  in  our  opinion,  an  uncharitable  hiding 
of  the  truth  not  to  bring  fo*-th,  against  these  works  of  darkness,  the  full 
force  of  the  spiritual  doctrine  and  pcver  of  the  Catholic  Church.  In  his 
"  Preface,"  Father  Muller  has  explained  this,  in  the  following  terms  :  — 
"  I  have  thought  it  expedient  for  the  edification  of  pious  souls  to  intro- 
duce into  it  after  the  manner  of  the  Holy  Fathers,  both  some  revelations 
made  to  certain  saints  and  several  miraculous  facts  concerning  this  mys- 
tery. I  know  there  are  some  persons  who,  boasting  of  being  free  from 
prejudices,  take  great  credit  to  themselves  for  believing  no  miracles  but 
those  recorded  Lo  the  Holy  Scriptures,  esteeming  all  others  as  tales  and 
fables  for  foolish  women.  But  it  will  be  well  to  remember  here  a  remark 
of  the  learned  St.  Alphontus,  who  says,  'that  the  bad  are  as  ready  to  de- 
ride miracles  as  the  good  are  to  believe  them;  adding  that  it  is  a  w&Aknesa 


NOTICES  OF  THE  PRESS,  ETC.  v 

to  give  credit  to  all  things,  so,  on  the  other  hand,  to  reject  miracles  which 
come  to  us  attested  by  grave  and  pious  men,  either  savors  of  infidelity 
which  supposes  them  impossible  to  God,  or  of  presumption,  which  refuses 
belief  to  such  a  class  of  authors.  We  give  credit  to  a  Tacitus,  a  Seuto- 
nius,  and  can  we  deny  it  without  presumption  to  Christian  authors  of 
learning  and  protiity.  There  is  less  risk  in  believing  and  receiving  what 
is  related  with  some  probability  by  honest  persons  and  not  rejected  by  the 
learned,  and  which  serves  for  the  edification  of  our  neighbor,  than  in  re- 
jecting it  with  a  disdainful  and  presumptuous  spirit.'  (Glories  of  Mary.) 
Hence  Pope  Benedict  XIV.  (De  Canoni.  Sanct.)  says:  '  Though  an  assent 
of  Catholic  faith  be  not  due  to  them,  they  deserve  a  human  assent  accord- 
ing to  the  rules  of  prudence  by  which  they  are  probably  and  piously 
credible.' " 

That  we  have  not  unduly  estimated  this  admirable  volume,  we  have  be- 
fore us  the  opinions  of  very  high  authorities.  The  venerable  and  learned 
Bishop  of  Milwaukee  writes  of  it,  as  follows :  — 

Milwaukee,  Jan.  18th,  1868. 
Very  Hev.  and  Dear  Father,  —  I  thank  you  cordially  for  the  work 
"  Blessed  Eucharist."  The  work  is  well  calculated  to  instruct,  strengthen 
and  warm  both  the  mind  and  heart  of  the  pious  reader.  May  Heaven  thus 
bless  the  labors  devoted  by  our  author  to  the  truth  and  praises  of  the  most 
holy  mystery  of  the  Eucharist. 

With  gratitude  and  affection,  very  dear  sir,  yours  truly  devoted, 

f  John  M.  Henni,  Bp.  of  Milw. 

The  Bishop  of  Fort  Wayne  is  not  less  earnest  in  its  commendation. 
Several  learned  Jesuit  Fathers  highly  commend  it.  Various  pious  persons 
of  both  sexes,  among  the  laity,  well  versed  in  ascetic  literature,  have  ex- 
pressed their  thanks  for  this  new  work.  It  is  invested,  in  regular  form, 
as  we  wish  all  books  on  religious  matters  would  be,  with  the  regular  "Im- 
primatur" of  the  Ordinary.  But  Archbishop  Spalding  did  not  content 
himself  with  this.  He  wrote  a  most  earnest  commendation  of  the  worK, 
which  appears  in  the  printed  volume. 


From  the  Catholic  World. 
This  work  is  written  in  plain  and  unaffected  style  to  promote  the  no- 
Dlest,  best,  and  most  useful  of  objects,  the  devotion  to  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  present  in  the  Most  Holy  Sacrament  of  the  altar.  Catholics  are 
taught  and  believe  this  great  mystery  of  love;  but  many,  though  they  be- 
lieve, do  not  seem  to  realize  sufficiently  what  it  is  they  believe.  They  have 
not  thought  much  upon  it.  They  bavc  not  penetrated  its  depths.  Their 
knowledge  is  superficial,  and  their  devotion  consequently  cold.  And  this, 
for  many  reasons,  is  particularly  the  case  in  this  country.  Here  we  have 
immense  congregations  and  few  priests,  and  they  loaded  down  with  the 
building  of  churches,  and  a  variety  of  work  which  has  been  already  done 
in  ether  countries.  The  people  often  are  either  out  of  reach  of  the  church, 
or  struggling  for  the  means  of  living,  and,  therefore,  have  grown  care- 
less, and  failed  to  receive  the  instruction  which  they  require.  Hence 
there  is  need,  and  great  need,  of  all  the  means  of  instruction  which  can 
be  brought  to  bear,  and  good  books  on  the  grand  doctrines  of  religion  are 
calculated  to  do  an  incalculable  amount  of  good.     This  book  of  Father 


Vi  NOTICES  OF  THE  PRESS,  ETC. 

Muller's  is  intended  to  supply  much  needed  instruction  on  the  Blessed 
Sacrament,  and  we  hope  k  will  receive  an  extensive  circulation.  In  read- 
aDiS  u'  WG  are  reminded  of  the  Visits  to  the  Blessed  Sanament  by  Saint 
Alphonsus,  which  have  been  so  acceptable  and  useful  throughout  the 
whole  church,  and  we  do  not  doubt  many  souls  will  derive  great  edifica- 
tion and  pleasure  from  its  perusal. 


The  Blessed  Eucharist  oue  Greatest  Treasure.    By  Michael  Miiller 
Priest  of  the  Congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer. 

Father  Miiller  has  placed  Catholics  under  lasting  obligations  by  giving 
them  so  desirable  and  so  edifying  a  work  as  his  treatise  on  the  Holy  Eu- 
charist. He  truly  tells  us,  that,  although  so  much  has  been  written  on  the 
subject,  yet  that  it  is  an  exhaustless  theme.  «  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in 
the  Adorable  Sacrament,  is  such  an  abundant  fountain,  that  the  more  it 
flows  the  fuller  it  becomes,  and  the  fuller  it  is  the  more  it  flows,  which 
signifies  that  the  most  Holy  Eucharist  is  so  great  and  so  sublime  a  mys- 
tery that  the  more  we  say  of  it  the  more  remains  to  be  said."  The  work 
is  evidently  intended  for  Catholics,  yet  should  it  fall  into  the  hands  of 
unbelievers,  they  will  find  in  the  first  chapter  arguments  and  authorities  in 
favor  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Real  Presence  so  powerfully  presented  as  to 
prepare  them  to  reap  the  advantages  of  what  follows.  Wherever  the  author 
examines  doctrine,  be  it  of  the  Blessed  Eucharist,  the  Mass,  or  any 
other  point,  what  he  says  of  them  is  rather  explanatory  than  controver- 
sial. We  do  not  know  that  we  could  select  any  one  chapter  in  preference 
to  another,  in  pointing  out  the  merits  of  the  book,  yet  for  ourselves  we 
can  say  that  perhaps  we  were  more  forcibly  struck  with  that  "  On  Un- 
worthy Communions."  The  style  is  simple  and  seductive,  so  that  it  is 
hard  to  put  away  the  book  when  once  it  has  been  taken  in  hand.  The 
mechanical  part  of  the  work  is  highly  creditable  to  the  enterprising  pub- 
lishers.  —  Catholic  Mirror,  Jan.  25,  1868. 


From  the  New  York  Tablet,  Feb.  1,  1868. 
The  Blessed  Eucharist  our  Greatest  Treasure.     By  Michael  Miillei 
C.  SS.  R.,   Priest  of  the   Congregation    of  the    Most   Holy    Redeemer 

Many  books  on  the  Blessed  Sacrament  are  already  in  existence;  some 
of  them  have  long  been  popular  among?*  the  faithful,  but  this  work  of 
Father  Mullers  is  not  exactly  like  any  of  them.  It  \s  less  poetical  than 
Faber's  book  on  the  same  subject,  but  it  is  more  intelligible  to  the  general 
reader,  probably  on  that  very  account.  In  it  we  find,  together  with  all  the 
motives  that  tend  to  draw  our  souls  towards  the  Adorable  Sacrament  of 
Love,  a  glowing  record  of  miracles,  reflations,  and  wondrous  graces  ob- 
tained through  faith  in,  and  love  of,  Our  dear  Lord  in  His  own  Divine 
Sacrament.  It  is  a  charming  book  for  faithful,  pious  Catholics  —  one  that 
cannot  fail  to  animate  their  faith  still  more,  and  increase  the  fervor  of 
their  piety. 

_  The  book  is  published   with  tho  approbation   rf  the  Most  Rev.  Arch- 
bishop Spalding. 


NOTICES  OF  THE  PRE  Si     ETC  Vll 

The  Blessed  Eucharist  our  Greatest  Treasure.  By  Michael  Miil- 
ier,  C.  SS.  R.  —  "  In  the  midst  of  you  standeth  One  whom  you  know  not 
—  the  latchet  of  whose  shoe  I  am  not  worthy  to  loose."  John  i.  26,  27, 
pp.  360,  12mo.  New  York:  Pustet  &  Co.  1868.  A  fine  accession  is 
this  to  the  ascetic  department  of  American  literature.  It  is  just  the  book 
one  will  enjoy  in  quiet  and  slow  perusal,  in  a  silent  and  devout  church, 
before  the  holy  Tabernacle.  Its  perusal  draws  one's  heart  nearer  and 
nearer  to  that  Centre  of  Divine  Love — the  heart  of  Jesus  in  His  Sacra- 
ment. Dilectus  meus  mihi,  et  ego  Illi !  Oh !  for  a  little  more  devotion 
among  our  people  towards  the  Blessed  Sacrament !  how  much  we  of  for- 
eign Catholic  lands  feel  the  want  of  it !  how  much  we  instinctively  deplore 
the  loneliness  of  our  churches  in  the  evening  hours,  the  abserceof  lovers, 
the  solitude  to  which  our  Saviour  is  condemned  (to  use  the  word  of  the 
best  writer  on  the  Devotion  to  the  Sacred  Heart)  in  the  Sacra  nent  of  His 
Love  !  A  pious  and  devout  perusal  of  Father  Miiller's  work  will  aid  to 
kindle  in  the  heart  of  our  people  a  warm  devotion  to  the  Blessed  Eucha- 
rist, truly  our  Greatest  Treasure,  the  key  of  which  is  in  our  own  posses- 
lion,  as  Blessed  Alacoque  says.  —  Boston  Pilot. 


From  the  Freeman's  Journal. 

FATHER  MULLER'S  BEAUTIFUL  BOOK  ON  THE  EUCHARIST 
In  the  following  letter,  which  we  clip  from  the  Catholic  Mirror,  we  thiiiK 
we  recognize  the  pen  of  a  distinguished  lady,  a  convert  to  the  Holy  Faith, 
as  well  as  a  woman  conversant  with  the  literary  and  political  world. 

Harrisburg,  Pa.,  1868. 

Messrs.  Editors,— If  you  have  room  in  your  columns,  permit  me  through 
them,  to  say  a  word  or  two  about  Father  Miiller's  book,  "  The  Blessed 
Eucharist."  But  how  shall  I  begin  ?  To  say  it  is  great,  good,  or  grand, 
is  not  enough.  The  nearest  I  can  come  to  expressing  what  I  feel  about 
it,  is  to  say,  next  to  receiving  the  Blessed  Eucharist,  is  the  perusal  of  thie 
inestimable  book.  I  wish  to  say  to  every  reader  of  the  Mirror,  buy  tne 
book.  No  matter  how  great  a  sinner  you  are,  the  hope  of  speedy  relief 
is  pointed  out  to  you  here ;  no  matter  how  weak  and  discouraged  you  are, 
the  way  to  strengthen  is  shown  you  ;  no  matter  how  dear  the  privilege  is 
r,<>  you  of  receiving  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  it  will  become  doubly  dear  after 
reading  this  book.  To  the  rich  I  would  say,  buy  two  copies  and  give  one 
to  your  poor  brother ;  his  prayers  and  blessings  will  well  repay  you  for 
the  trifling  expenditure.  To  the  ladies,  I  would  say,  spare  yourself  a  bit 
of  ribbon  and  buy  the  book.  T  >  the  gentlemen,  a  few  less  cigars  or  drinks, 
and  buy  the  book.  Every  single  page  of  it  is  worth  the  price  of  the  vol- 
ume. Could  dear  Father  Miiller  have  heard  the  prayers  and  seen  tha 
tears  of  a  poor  old  lady  who  is  crippled  and  cannot  go  U  church,  when  il 
was  being  read  to  her  this  morning,  he  would  be  rewarded  a?  I  know  h 
xishes  to  be.     To  one  and  all  I  say,  buy  the  book. 

Cecfua. 


f 


BX  2220  -M83  1880 

SMC 

M/>ul  ler,  Michael, 

1825-1899. 
The  Blessed  Eucharist. 

our  greatest  treasure  / 
AKB-7481  (mcsk) 

-^